


DaddyWantsSomeSugar.Net

by iLibra



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Sugar Daddy, College/University, M/M, Mary Lou Barebone is Her Own Warning, Online Dating, Safe Sane and Consensual, Self-Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, Sugar Daddy, Tags will be updated with following chapters, not really but sort of, the slowest of burns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2018-12-04 17:43:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11560182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iLibra/pseuds/iLibra
Summary: For his social studies class, Credence has to write a paper about a well-known subculture and decides to write about sugar daddies. Now the only issue is to find someone to interview for his project, but there might be just the right website for Credence to find someone.[Now with fanart in chapter 3!]





	1. The Idea

"Wait... you plan to do _what_ for your social studies project?" Newt asked, his eyebrows knitting together.

"I want to interview a, uh.... A sugar daddy..." Credence repeated quietly in a timid voice that Newt had difficulty picking up. They were sitting on the bed in Credence's room, a laptop nestled between them on the blanket. Newt processed what Credence had just said for a long moment, clearly thinking deeply. Credence picked nervously at a loose thread in the blanket and avoided looking Newt in the eye. 

"Okay..." Newt tilted his head as he thought, and then nodded to himself. "Okay. And why a sugar daddy, exactly?” Newt asked, and Credence let out a breath of surprised relief. There was no judgment in his voice, simply honest curiosity and a touch of confusion. Credence didn't know what reaction he suspected, but definitely not this one.

"I read an article about that a few days ago, and so it was the first thing that came to my mind, I guess?" Credence said, shrugging. When their teacher assigned them a paper about a well-known subculture with an optional interview for extra credit, Credence hadn't been sure what to choose at first, but then he remembered an article he had read recently. The article had detailed the experiences of a boy that was a so-called "sugar baby" and everything this kind of lifestyle entails. To Credence's righteous indignation, the article turned out to be very poorly executed and written in a highly discriminatory fashion. Credence had thought it was a shame, but then this school project popped up and he realized that this could be his chance to build an opinion for himself and write a well-informed paper about sugar daddies.

"So why am I here? I'm not even in your class." Newt pulled Credence out of his thoughts, looking a bit puzzled. "I'm not a sugar.... Child, or whatever, you can't interview me. And I don't know any sugar daddies, I'm sorry."

"I'm not here to interview you. You're here because..." Credence took a deep breath. "Because I've been trying to sign up on this website for two days now and I just can't do it. You have to help me or I won't go through with it." Credence explained, biting his lip. Every time he had opened the website he had found, he got too embarrassed and closed it again. Even if this was just for his project, Credence couldn't help feeling weird about all this.

"Wait, you really wanna sign up on one of those websites? What if someone is trying to trick you? You know how dangerous online dating can be." Newt said anxiously, obviously worried about him. Of course that thought had occurred to Credence too, but he was going to make sure that he wouldn't get kidnapped or worse. At least he hoped so.

"Well, first of all, I was planning to outright say on my profile that I'm only looking for someone to do an interview with. And I thought that... Maybe, if that's okay, that you could maybe come with me if I end up meeting up with someone?" Credence's voice petered off at the end again. He didn't like having to ask someone for help, but he also knew that going alone was too much of a risk. He didn't like the idea of meeting up with a total stranger as it was, but he knew this was inevitable if he wanted to do a proper interview. 

Newt heaved a big sigh, though he didn't seem too annoyed. "Well, of course, I don't want some weirdo taking advantage of you." Newt said, patting Credence's shoulder reassuringly. For some reason Credence almost felt offended.

"See? This scene or for example the... uh, B-BDSM scene, I think they seem to have such a negative stance in our society. That's also why I wanna write my paper about it. " Credence said, remembering the article and how the author had treated the scene without directly calling everyone in it disgusting and perverse, but clearly implying it.

"Hey, I'm not saying this because I think the people in this scene are weirdos. I'm saying this because meeting people over the internet can be dangerous in general, okay?" Newt said with a slight blush on his face, not wanting to be painted as a close-minded individual. 

"Don't worry, Newt, I get it. I'm just saying." Credence knew Newt was the last person to mean harm towards anyone, but still felt like he had to say something. Ever since he and Newt became friends, he could just tell that Newt was way too nice for his own good. Even if he had his problems dealing with living creatures that were not animals, namely humans, he had a good, kind heart and only meant to help.

"By the way, why didn't you ask Tina to help you?" Newt asked him after a moment, changing the subject. Of course he would ask that. While both Newt and Tina were his best friends, Credence usually turned to Tina if he needed advice or help with something.

"I was... too embarrassed to ask her." Credence said with a deep blush. "Even if it's just for the project, I thought she might think that I was, I dunno, _weird_ for doing something like this." It was hard enough to tell Newt about his idea, but what would Tina have said? Granted, she had always been really supportive up until now, but you never knew. Credence thought that if he told Newt and Newt had been weirded out or straight up disgusted, he could play it off as a joke and suffer through the temporary embarrassment, but with Tina, he wasn't sure if he could have pulled that off. Fortunately, Newt was being far more supportive than he'd dared hope for.

"Okay, well, do you know where you're gonna find your sugar daddy yet?" Newt asked, a wide grin spreading on his face and an odd sparkle in his eyes.

"Well, I found this website." Credence said and opened his laptop, turning it so that both could see the screen. His browser was still open on a website called "DaddyWantsSomeSugar.net" that Credence had found after diving into strange parts of the internet. "Despite the... name, it seems pretty legitimate, I think." Credence tried to explain, the blush returning to his cheeks.

Newt and Credence observed the site together for a long moment, although there wasn't too much to see on the main page aside from a short description and two buttons for either logging in or signing up. Newt saw the mouse hovering over the sign up button and Credence staring at it like it could jump out and bite him, so he decided to take the initiative and click it, wresting the laptop from him. 

"Hey, I wasn't ready yet!" Credence protested, albeit weakly.

"And you will never be, right? I thought that's why I'm here?" Newt asked, another big grin spreading on his face.

"Well, yes, but..."

"No 'buts' now, come on." Newt exclaimed, turning the keyboard towards him so he could put in Credence's information. Credence knew he had no reason to protest since it was his own idea, but he still bit his bottom lip nervously.

Newt put in basic information like Credence's name, age, hair and eye color and his hobbies. Credence didn't really have many hobbies aside from reading and watching old movies, since he was too busy with schoolwork and doing chores for his mom and sisters. But he put in what little personality he could show nonetheless.

"You have to put up a profile picture." Newt said, pointing to the box for a photo on the screen.

"Wha- I..." Credence didn't like pictures of himself as it was, but to voluntarily put something out for everyone to see? That was nerve-wracking.

"Relax, I'm pretty sure only people that are signed up can see this." Newt tried to reassure him. "Besides, how are people supposed to click on your profile when you have no picture?" Newt said, bumping his shoulder and urging him to look for a good photo.

"I mean... I guess." Credence mumbled and took the laptop, turning it towards him so he could look for a picture. He spent well over five minutes staring intently at the screen, looking for a good one. Newt noticed that Credence kept coming back to the same picture, but still wouldn't make up his mind. Unable to witness this struggle any longer, Newt took the laptop back and clicked on the picture Credence kept coming back to.

"You're taking this one. End of discussion." Newt said. Credence opened his mouth to protest, and shut it again. He still couldn't deny that it was his own idea. Which didn't mean he was happy about it. 

Newt scrolled down, moving on to filling out what Credence was looking for in his sugar daddy, and Credence ducked his head, his cheeks warming yet again. Perhaps he should've picked a less _nerve-wracking_ topic for his paper. But no, he was determined to clear up at least some of the misconceptions surrounding this sort of lifestyle. He _was_ going to do this. 

"Okay, so I'll say that you're looking for a 'sugar daddy' and... male, female or both?" Newt asked him, filling out Credence's profile for him.

"M-male, I think." Credence stuttered out. Credence got embarrassed around girls as it was, he didn't need this whole thing to be even more stressful. At first he didn't even think about the possibility of "sugar mamas", but of course, why wouldn't there be women doing the same thing? Nonetheless, Credence thought interviewing a man would probably be better for him.

"Okay, so next would be a short description of yourself. You should probably explain your project here..." Newt said, looking over the rest of the profile to see if they had filled out everything else. He looked over to Credence who was staring at the screen nervously. 

"You want me to write it? I can try my best.” Newt offered, seeing how Credence didn't seem to know what to do. Credence could only nod, embarrassed that he couldn't do anything on his own, but also glad that Newt was helping him. After a few minutes filled with nothing but the sound of the clacking keys of his laptop, Newt showed him the finished text. 

 

_"Hello, my name is Credence Barebone and I'm a freshman at The University of Ilvermorny in Manhattan. For my social studies class, I have to write a paper about and have an interview with someone from a well-known subculture. I would like to write my paper on sugar daddies and was hoping to find someone to interview on this website. I would be grateful if you could make some time for me to explain why you became a sugar daddy, what the benefits and downsides are, and what comes with a lifestyle like yours."_

 

Credence read over the text again with a delighted expression. "This is perfect, Newt. Thank you!" Even though Credence was good with words, at least according to his grades in school, he didn't think he could have put it that well without dying from embarrassment yet again.

"You're welcome." Newt swelled with pride at Credence's compliment. "I hope this makes everything clear enough so that you won't get any weird messages." Newt said with a smile. Credence couldn't be happier with how serious Newt was taking all this. He had been almost positive that he would be made fun of, even though he knew Newt wasn't that kind of person. 

"Okay, so now we wait." Newt declared. Instead of having them both stare at the screen for however long it would take to get a message, they decided to order some food and watch a movie together. When Credence pulled out his box of savings to pay the delivery guy, Newt waved him off and rushed to the door. Newt knew what Credence was saving that money for and Credence was red with shame because he couldn't even do this little thing to thank him. 

With a deep sigh he pushed the box back under his bed and went down to help carry their pizza boxes up to Credence's room. He usually wasn't allowed to eat in his room, but his mom and sisters weren't here and as long as he cleaned everything up afterwards, no one would notice. They both sat at the desk and watched a movie on Credence's laptop. He didn't have a TV; he was barely able to convince his mom to get a laptop for him, arguing that he needed one for his school work. He had been saving up for it for so long and was only able to get it because his mother gave him half of the money as a birthday present. One of her most generous moments for sure. And with a promise of doing more around the house and not spending too much time on it, the new laptop was all his. And now he was using it to attract sugar daddies. Oh well\Funny how these things turned out.

When they had finished watching and eating, Credence logged back into the website and was surprised to see 5 new messages. Despite Newt's best efforts though, he did get some weird messages. The first three seemed to be from people who haven't really looked at the profile. They had probably seen Credence's profile picture and had just send a standard message, asking him to be their sugar baby, with a message riddled with grammatical errors to top it off. He and Newt decided to simply disregard these messages. 

The 4th message sounded more legitimate than the others, but scared Credence nonetheless. It was from someone called Gellert Grindelwald. His profile picture showed him to have light blond, almost white hair with an intense expression and mismatched eyes. Now, Credence wasn't one to judge others by their appearance; it was the message itself that scared him. He said he would be happy to do an interview with him in exchange for some favors and a weekend together in his penthouse. Credence swallowed.

"Does he mean like..." Credence couldn't bring himself to finish this thought.

"I think so... that guy is a total creeper." Newt said with a shudder. Credence had to agree. He was really starting to doubt himself now on whether or not this was a good idea, if he should have picked a different subculture, even though he couldn't really think of one right now. He was trying his best to think of a solution when they opened the last message.

It was sent by someone called Percival Graves. Looking at his profile picture, Credence could only describe him as incredibly handsome, with dark, combed back hair and a bit of gray showing on the sides and dark piercing eyes. Credence couldn't help but think that he was too good-looking to be on a website like this, but Newt just urged him to open the message already.

 

_"Hello Mr. Barebone, your school project sounds fascinating and I would be happy to offer you an interview and help out with anything else you might need to know. Don't worry, I won't ask for anything in return from you. I want our community to be represented in a better light and you seem like an intelligent young man to me. I'm sure you'd be the right person to do that. I'm looking forward to hearing from you."_

 

"He's perfect!" Newt said, voicing his exact thoughts. Credence couldn't believe they seemed to have found someone so nice on this website, especially so quickly. 

"Yeah, he- he seems really nice." Credence said, fiddling with the hem of his shirt nervously.

"Aww, do you already have a crush on him?" Newt teased him, poking his side with his elbow. Credence flushed in a deep red. How could Newt just say something like that?

"N-no! I'm not, I mean, I'm not _actually_ looking for a sugar daddy, Newt. I told you this is for my project. I- I'm not-" Credence stuttered out, stumbling over his own words. 

"Whoa, I was just kidding, Credence. Calm down." Newt tried to reassure him, holding up his arms in surrender. Credence pouted, too flustered to see Newt's slight grin. There was a long beat of silence.

"So... what do I do now?" Credence asked for a lack of something better to say.

"Well, write him back of course." Newt said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. And it probably was, but Credence really couldn't tell right now.

"Oh... okay." Credence said, his fingers hovering over the keyboard, occasionally glancing over at Newt. Newt watched him eagerly.

"...Do you want me to write it?" Newt asked him after a long moment, wanting to help somehow despite the fact that his social skills weren't much better than Credence's. Credence shook his head no and told Newt he could do it. Newt already helped him more than he could have ever asked for.

It took a good 10 minutes of pep talk from Newt (and another 5 minutes of an internal pep talk) before Credence could even begin to write his response. He tried to tell himself that he wasn't writing back to a high school crush, but simply a valuable professional acquaintance. This was all for his research paper, for the sake of getting a good grade and to learn more about this subculture.

He thanked Mr. Graves for offering to help with his project and explained why he would like to do an interview with him. Credence was concerned that he was rambling about his project too much, but Newt reassured him and Mr. Graves's answer came faster than expected. After some back and forth, they decide to hold the interview in person, rather than on the phone to avoid any misunderstandings. Mr. Graves also argued that he preferred looking others in the eyes when they were talking and Credence couldn't help but blush. If he wanted to look someone in the eyes, Mr. Graves shouldn't be speaking with Credence. Despite Newt's slight protests, Credence assured him that this meeting would go well.

Fortunately Mr. Graves didn't live too far away, so they decided to meet up at a nearby coffee shop next Wednesday, since Credence and Newt didn't have any classes that day. Credence would have to go to his part-time job in the afternoon, but there should be enough time to do a thorough interview.

Only later, after everything was sorted out and Newt had gone home and Credence was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, did everything really sink in.

Credence had just gotten himself a sugar daddy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> So, this has been an idea I've been toying with for a while and now finally got to start working on. I'm not quite sure how long this is going to be, but I've got some ideas, so be prepared! Also, just to mention it, Credence is 19 in this and Graves is somewhere in his 30s.  
> A huge thank you to my amazing editor [tsund0ku_library](http://archiveofourown.org/users/tsund0ku_library) <3
> 
> If you have some feedback, I would love to hear it in the comments or on [tumblr](http://ilibra.tumblr.com) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/iLiibra) :D


	2. The Interview

To say Credence was nervous would be a huge understatement. He had already spent hours in front of his wardrobe, trying to settle on an outfit for today. He wanted to look decent, but also not like he had dressed up; he wanted to look casual, but not like he didn't care about this interview.

After Newt reassured him for the tenth time on the third different outfit that he looked " _Fine_ ", Credence finally settled on a simple button-up shirt and some black jeans. After all, he still had to go to work after the interview. He shouldn't look too fancy. Newt told him yet again that he looked perfectly fine and practically dragged him out of the house.

Credence's mind was going in circles. He was worried that Mr. Graves might end up not being who he pretended he was. Or that he had changed his mind and didn't want to do this interview after all. Or-

"Credence!" Newt smacked him lightly on the back of his head, yanking him from his anxiety-ridden thoughts. "Isn't this the place you're meeting Mr. Graves at?"

"Oh, yeah-" Credence tucked his chin into his chest, embarrassed. He couldn't believe that he'd almost walked straight past the very place that he was so stressed over.

It was a cozy little coffee shop, where you could have a conversation without half the café listening in on you. Quiet music was playing in the background. It wasn't so loud that it would interfere with making conversation, but it was loud enough to fill any awkward silence.

They quickly spotted Graves in a secluded corner of the shop, a bit off from the other tables. Credence still couldn't believe that this man actually existed. He looked just like the picture in his profile. Which shouldn't be so surprising, but Credence couldn't help being shocked. He didn't know that people could come looking like that.

When Mr. Graves noticed Credence hesitating by the door, he waved his hand, signaling them to come over. There were already two steaming mugs of coffee on the table in front of him.

"Hello Mr. Graves. It's nice to meet you." Credence said, and his voice didn't even tremble. Or nearly didn't, anyway. His stomach was in knots. He really hoped he would be able to calm down enough to drink his coffee, especially since Mr. Graves had gotten it for him. And he hated being wasteful and inconsiderate like that.

Mr. Graves stood up and Credence shook the hand he offered him, noting the warmth of his firm grip.

"The pleasure's all mine." Mr. Graves said, just as he spotted Newt standing just behind Credence. He raised his brows curiously at him, clearly wondering why the lanky boy was watching their greeting with undisguised attention.

"Oh, and you are?" he asked Newt with an outstretched hand, which Newt shook.

"I'm Newt. I'm just here to make sure you're not trying to kidnap Credence." Newt said, and Credence poked him in the side with his elbow.

"Newt!" Credence hissed. He had specifically told him not to say that and yet he went ahead and did it. He didn't want Mr. Graves to think that Credence couldn't go to this interview on his own, but he also knew it would be reckless to go alone.

But Mr. Graves just laughed.

"That's very thoughtful of you. Would you like some coffee too? I'm afraid I only ordered for two." he said to Newt. Credence was relieved to see that Mr. Graves didn't seem to mind at all that Newt had come with him. In retrospect, Credence should have probably told him that he wouldn't come alone.

"No, thank you. I'll be on my way." Newt said, clapping Credence on the shoulder. They had talked about Newt staying with him, but had ultimately decided against it. Credence wasn't sure if he could do this interview with another person present and he didn't want to seem like a child that couldn't do anything on his own. Newt would be staying at a nearby library to work on one of his own projects, just in case.

"Credence has my number on speed-dial, so don't try anything funny." Newt said, looking Graves directly in the eyes, trying his best to sound intimidating. Credence was beet red. He certainly didn't want Newt threatening his social studies project.

"Don't worry." Mr. Graves reassured Newt with a smile and with a nod and a wave, Newt walked out of the coffee shop, leaving Credence alone with his project.

"I'm sorry about that." Credence said after a long beat of silence, his face still red and his eyes focused on the table in front of him.

"Oh, don't worry. It's perfectly reasonable. Your friend seems to really care about you." Mr. Graves said with his perfect smile and Credence really hoped his blush would lessen at some point. Considering what they were going to talk about, however, Credence seriously doubted it.

"Thanks for the coffee, Mr. Graves." Credence said, finally sliding into a chair as Mr. Graves sat down. He dropped two cubes of sugar and some milk in his coffee cup and stirred it, trying to decide where to begin.

"My pleasure." Graves said with yet another smile that made Credence feel strangely about their situation. But it's not strange, right? He was just sitting down for a coffee with the sugar daddy he was interviewing. Nothing odd about it.

Credence pulled up his bag and sat his notebook and a recorder that he had borrowed from college on the table.

"Oh, very well prepared, I see." Mr. Graves smirked at him, making Credence blush. Again. He really hoped he didn't seem too over-eager or something.

"I-I just didn't wanna risk missing anything. Are you okay with me recording our interview?" Credence asked, suddenly having self-conscious. He should have asked right away. Stupid.

"Of course, go ahead." Mr. Graves said, so Credence took a deep breath and pressed the record button.

"First of all, thank you very much for agreeing to do this interview with me." Credence recited the words he had practiced in his head over and over again.

"You are very welcome, Credence." Graves said and Credence had to swallow. For some reason, hearing his name from Mr. Graves's mouth felt weird. There was another pause while Credence visibly struggled with all his notes, trying to find a good point to start at. He really should have thought about that beforehand, then there wouldn't be this awkward silence and he wouldn't seem so unprepared. But Mr. Graves took pity on him.

"How about we just talk a bit before we start? I would love to hear about you and your social studies class, if you don't mind." Mr. Graves asked, clearly trying to make Credence more comfortable by easing him into the conversation. And Credence felt like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. He stopped the recording for now. There was no need to listen to himself talk about himself and his classes again later on.

After a few awkward moments, they ended up having a casual, comfortable conversation for a bit, Credence telling Graves about himself, his classes, and how he got the idea for his paper, and Graves in return telling him about his “boring office job”, as he called it. It had been a long time since Credence had felt comfortable talking to someone like this. He felt more and more at ease talking, which usually took a lot of time for him. Even with Newt and Tina, they had to keep urging him to talk about himself or give his opinion. But Mr. Graves just seemed so friendly and genuinely interested that he just couldn't help talking about himself. There was still this nagging voice in the back of his head, telling him he was probably being annoying, but he tried to ignore it as best as he could.

“Would you like to start the interview now?” Mr. Graves asked him after a while in a gentle tone.

“Ah, yes.” Credence was so busy talking that he almost forgot about it. He hit the record button again and looked over his notes, now arranged in the right order. Credence decided to start with the basics.

“So... could you explain how a sugar daddy relationship works?” Credence asked, but then quickly realized how that might sound, so he added, “I, uhm, I obviously did some research, but I would like to hear you explain it.” Credence gulped. He really didn't want to seem ignorant or anything. But Mr. Graves just gave him a small smile.

“Well, let's see... A sugar daddy is someone who provides money and other favors for his sugar baby, in most cases younger men or women, in exchange for a... mutual relationship, I would say. The younger person in return provides the sugar daddy with company. And yes, sometimes in form of a sexual relationship." Mr. Graves explained and Credence had to swallow hard, realizing again that he was actually going through with this interview. But he still had the presence of mind to catch what he had said.

“S-sometimes?” he asked, because everything he had read online said that a sugar daddy was basically paying for sex. Which didn't sound right to Credence in the first place, but he had no basis to judge. He had thought having a sugar daddy seemed more like having a relationship than just prostitution with a fancy name, but how could he judge that?

“Yes, occasionally. Sometimes it's just about having some company. I'm not hiring a prostitute after all. A relationship like this is more than that.” Mr. Graves said and Credence was somehow relieved to hear that. Nevertheless he furrowed his brow.

“Then... what's the difference to a normal relationship?” Credence said, before his brain could catch up, but then he gasped at his own words. He tried to correct himself quickly. “I-I mean, I'm not saying that- uuh-” but Mr. Graves just laughed.

“Don't worry, I see what you mean. In a sugar daddy relationship there's just less commitment. Most times there are no romantic feelings involved, which would be the basis of a uh... 'normal relationship', as you put it.” Mr. Graves explained. Credence felt utterly embarrassed. He really didn't mean to offend Mr. Graves in any way. But when he looked up, the man didn't seem to be angry, just amused. Maybe he wasn't offended after all. Credence stared at his notes for a lack of anything better to say.

“Does that answer your question?” Mr. Graves asked carefully, seeing Credence's slight distress. Graves seemed concerned now, which only deepened Credence's embarrassment. Credence tried to play it off, though he could still feel the heat creeping up his neck and into his cheeks.

“Ah, yes! So...” Credence dragged his pen over his paper with potential questions, looking for the next one he could ask. “Could you explain how such a relationship works for you then?” This was still in the same vein as the question before, but Credence needed to know. For purely scientific reasons of course. Mr. Graves seemed to think about it for a moment.

“Honestly, it depends on the person who agrees to be my sugar baby. Sometimes it's just about the company and other times it's about the sexual aspect. Although most times it's a mix of both.” Mr. Graves said and Credence swallowed. He couldn't imagine a man like Mr. Graves having trouble finding company. Considering how handsome he was, people should be lining up just to talk to him.

“If you don't mind me asking, how does a sugar daddy relationship usually play out for you? I mean, is there some kind of contract in place or something?” Credence's voice became more quiet with every word, suddenly unsure of himself. He was afraid he was prying too much, but then again, Mr. Graves had agreed to do this interview with him, so asking couldn't hurt. And he really wanted to know.

"No, there's no contract. I don't wanna make these relationships feel like some kind of business affair. At least not any more than they already are." Mr. Graves seemed to think this over for a second while sipping at his coffee. "Once someone agrees to pursue a relationship with me, we discuss how I can support them and what they would be willing to do in return. And hopefully, it all works out for the both of us." Mr. Graves said, and Credence scribbled on his paper furiously, writing down in his notebook, while Mr. Graves watched him with a smile.

“Okay, so when did you decide to become a sugar daddy and why?” Credence read the question out more than asked, still clinging to his notes and despite everything they had talked about, still embarrassed.

“When? Well, I suppose it's been a few years now. It had always been an idea I was toying with until I decided to just try it out. As to why... I mean, why not?” Mr. Graves grinned at Credence which made him blush. Mr. Graves's gaze made Credence feel like he could look right into his head and that only intensified his nervousness. Credence tried to busy himself with his coffee cup for a moment before he went back to taking some notes. Which he might not necessarily need, because of his recording, but Graves didn't need to know that.

“In all honesty, I have more money than I know what to do with. I like making other people happy and I like making myself happy, too.” Graves looked at Credence like they were sharing some private joke that he didn't get, making him flustered again. “I'm just saying, why not spread the wealth to get something... 'mutually beneficial', you know?” he smirked and Credence couldn't stop his brain from picturing what 'mutually beneficial' meant in this context. His thoughts jumped right to imagining what a relationship with Mr. Graves would be like. Would they eat at fancy restaurants where Credence couldn't pronounce half of the meals on the menu? And would they go home together afterwards? The picture of a bare-chested Mr. Graves popped into his head without his consent and Credence's face flushed in a deep red.

“I'm sorry, Credence. I didn't intend to fluster you.” If Mr. Graves hadn't been grinning, you would think he was concerned.

“Ah, no, you didn't. I-I mean...” Credence cleared his throat and Mr. Graves chuckled, clearly amused. “So, uhm, are you currently in a relationship with one or... multiple sugar babies?” he asked, swallowing.

For some reason he was dreading the answer, even though this was an important aspect of his project. He could need information about the other side of the relationship. It _was_ about the intricacies of relationships between sugar daddies and their sugar babies, after all. It should be a huge advantage, having the potential to possibly interview a sugar baby as well, but for some reason having to interview someone that was in a relationship with Mr. Graves made something coil in his stomach. Trying to convince himself that these feelings were simply because he didn't want to have to pluck up the courage for another face-to-face interview, he pushed it to the back his mind.

“Do you think I would have been looking around on that website if I was?” Mr. Graves replied with a slight smirk. Credence felt an odd little flip in his stomach.

“I-I guess not.” Credence said, looking down at his notes. He felt like he had pried too deeply into Mr. Graves's love life, even though that was not what he was trying to do. He just wanted some information.

“And instead I found you.” Mr. Graves chuckled and... did he just wink? “Besides, I never have more than one sugar baby at a time. I guess I'm a romantic like that.” Mr. Graves sighed, but smiled.

“I think that's good.” Credence blurted out without thinking and Mr. Graves arched a brow. Only then did Credence realize how weird that sounded. He has to stop doing that. “I-I mean, I don't know how I would feel if the person I was in a relationship with had someone else on the side... Even if this is a different kind of… relationship...” Credence trailed off, suddenly very unsure of himself again. After all, he had no idea how much different a sugar daddy relationship was, so did his opinion on it matter? From what Mr. Graves had told him, it wasn't that different from any other relationship. At least for some people, anyway.

“And I agree with you. It might be a bit sentimental, but no one says you can't fall in love with your sugar baby.”

Credence was unable to hold Mr. Graves's intense gaze and ducked his head. He shuffled his notes and checked his watch, attempting not to be so obvious in his avoidance of Mr. Graves's dark eyes, and then let out a genuine gasp at the time.

“Fudge! I-I'm really sorry, Mr. Graves, but I have to go now.” Credence said. He still had a million questions he wanted to ask, but he was already almost late for his part-time job. And he really couldn't risk losing this job. He had searched for a long time for the perfect job, and after several rejections he finally landed a job at the little bakery on the other side of town. It was perfect. He couldn't be more thankful, which was why he couldn't risk losing it. Especially over such a ridiculous thing like being late.

Credence started scrambling to get all of his things together, turning his recorder off, and putting everything in his bag. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he looked up and saw that Mr. Graves looked surprised and a bit disappointed. He probably thought he had said something wrong, so Credence quickly elaborated.

"I'm really sorry, I have to go now, my job- I'm almost late for my job," he said, with another nervous glance at his watch. “Uurgh, I'm never gonna make it on time...” He heaved out a sigh. This really wasn't like him. He was always paying attention to the time, especially if he had to be somewhere. And now Mr. Graves must be thinking about how rude he was being!

“You want me to call a cab for you?” Mr. Graves asked him, seeing how distressed he was. Credence really didn't like the idea of asking Mr. Graves for anything, but there was just no way he would make it on time if he took the bus. He'd already missed the stop he'd intended to be on. So he tried to swallow his pride and ignore the nagging voice in the back of his head.

“If you wouldn't mind? I'm really sorry, Mr. Graves... I should have paid more attention to the time...” Credence said, embarrassed, looking down at his shoes.

“Don't mention it,” Mr. Graves said, already standing and making his way towards the counter. He quickly dropped a tip into the jar beside the cash register. Credence watched him, nervously hovering by the door. By the time he made his way to the door, Mr. Graves was already on his phone, calling someone.

Credence continued to apologize while they were waiting in front of the coffee shop and Mr. Graves kept telling him it was okay. After an odd beat of silence, Mr. Graves reached into his pocket and pulled out a small slip of paper, a business card. He quickly scribbled something on the backside and handed it to Credence, who took it with trembling hands.

“That's my number, in case you need anything else. It's certainly easier than talking over that website.” Mr. Graves explained, giving him another one of his warm smiles. Credence could only nod and thank him.

When the taxi came, Credence reached for his wallet, already mentally calculating how much this'd set him back and mourning the lapse in his careful budgeting, but Mr. Graves intercepted him smoothly.

"Take him wherever he needs to go, please," Mr. Graves murmured through the rolled-down window. The taxi driver nodded and slipped the neat fold of bills into his shirt pocket. Credence tried not to look surprised by the amount of money. How much _was_ that?

"He'll get you there in time," he promised Credence, holding the door open for him and motioning him inside with an old-fashioned, gentlemanly air about him.

Credence slid inside the taxi, wide-eyed.

"Thanks," Credence only remembered to say after Mr. Graves shut the car door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last, here is the next chapter! Thank you for reading! And thank you for all your kind comments and kudos on the last chapter! It really means a lot :'>
> 
> Again, huge thanks to my loyal editor [tsund0ku_library](http://archiveofourown.org/users/tsund0ku_library)!! 
> 
> If you have some feedback for me, I would love to hear it in the comments or [tumblr](http://ilibra.tumblr.com) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/iLiibra) :D
> 
> (Btw, if you wanna talk to me about Gradence, feel free to hit me up on twitter or tumblr! I won't bite! Also also, I am currently taking Gradence fic requests over on tumblr, so send something over if you want!)


	3. The Theater

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fanart is a commission drawn by questionartbox on tumblr <3

Aside from the awkward topics and embarrassment that Credence had had to endure, you could say his interview with Mr. Graves went quite well. He was able to learn a lot about sugar daddies and how their relationships work, and how they fit into modern society. Not to mention how nice and patient Mr. Graves had been with Credence and his questions.

Credence was sitting at his desk, working on the paper for his social studies class. He had done quite a bit of research into the topic of sugar daddies, but he had gotten the most information out of his interview with Mr. Graves. He still couldn't believe how much misinformation was being spread around on the internet about sugar daddies. Credence remembered that Mr. Graves had said something about how these relationships differ from others. He could probably use that for this paragraph he was working on. He clicked around on his laptop until he found the recording of their interview and pulled it up looking for the right moment.

_"Don't worry, I see what you mean. In a sugar daddy relationship there's just less commitment. Most times there are no romantic feelings involved, which would be the basis of a uh... 'normal relationship", as you put it."_

Credence felt his embarrassment from that situation all over again. He didn't mean to imply that a sugar daddy relationship wasn't 'normal' and feared that he had insulted Mr. Graves. But it had seemed like Graves didn't take it that way, which Credence was endlessly grateful for.

He jotted down some notes, but forgot to pause the recording. He listened to his past self ask more questions and heard Mr. Graves's deep voice answer him. 

_"It might be a bit sentimental, but no one says you can't fall in love with your sugar baby."_

Credence closed his eyes for just a moment. He felt like he could listen to that deep, rich voice for hours.

Suddenly there was a click in the recording and it went silent. Credence's eyes snapped open, breaking free of what had felt like an almost hypnotic state. It seemed like he had listened to the whole recording of the interview. He hadn't meant to do that. He slumped forward onto his desk in embarrassment.

 

\--------

 

A few weeks later, Credence stormed into his room and threw himself face-down onto his bed. He was upset. He was sick and tired of thinking about what a failure of a son he evidently was. Clearly, he was far, _far_ from the model son he so strived to be if his mother was always so incredibly disappointed in him.

So after finishing the long list of weird little odds-and-ends his mother had come up with for no discernible reason other than to punish him, he laid down on his bed, pressing his face into the warm sheets that smelled of the laundry detergent he used. He could feel his hot, shameful tears soaking into the sheets, realizing with a shock of horror that the odd whimpering sound was coming from him. He shoved his hand over his mouth to stifle the _pathetic_ sounds, sealing it so effectively that he could have cut his hand on his teeth.

Why was his mother like this? Why was _he_ like this? Why can't he do anything right? Why were all those _useless_ tasks suddenly the most important, horrible thing in his mother's life? Why the hell was he still crying over this? It was useless, shouldn't he be used to it by now? No matter how much he thought about it, he could never find an answer, the questions just circling endlessly in his head.

When his tears finally dried out, he huffed and pulled out his phone, tapping and scrolling around without any real purpose. After scrolling up and down through his contacts, he stopped and stared at Mr. Graves number. They had written texts back and forth ever since their interview. Credence had asked him a few simpler questions and Mr. Graves asked how his paper was coming along. More often than not, however, they ended up talking about their days and other random things. Credence was always afraid he was bothering Mr. Graves, but Graves always assured him that it was okay, that he wanted to talk, which still sounded crazy to Credence. How could someone like Mr. Graves enjoy talking to him? Credence certainly enjoyed talking about his day, but why would Mr. Graves be interested? Credence definitely liked texting him, though. Now, however, he really wanted to just hear that deep voice again. The one that he hadn't heard since listening to the interview while working on his paper a couple of days ago.

He dialed Mr. Graves's number without thinking. He seemed to do a lot of things without thinking them through when it came to Mr. Graves. Before Credence could panic or even start thinking about what to say, Mr. Graves had already picked up.

"Credence. What do I owe the pleasure?" Mr. Graves asked him. Credence swallowed hard. If only he himself knew why he called.

"Hi, Mr. Graves." Credence said, and hesitated for a tad too long. 

"Credence?" Mr. Graves said, confused. 

"I, uhm, I had some more questions... for my paper." Credence said, for a lack of anything better to say. This was an easy topic and should be the only reason Mr. Graves and him were still talking. He really hoped Mr. Graves wouldn't ask why he called instead of just texting him like he usually did.

"Oh, is that right?" Mr. Graves asked with a small chuckle. Credence could melt right into his bed, but the dread of having to think of a question kept him alarmed. He had to come up with something, and fast!

"Could you, uhm..." _Think of something, anything!_ "...tell me about your first experience as a sugar daddy?" Credence asked and let out a quiet sigh.

"Well, I suppose, if you want me to." Mr. Graves answered and Credence buried his head into the bed. He actually didn't want to hear about Graves with one of his sugar babies, but this was the best excuse he had to listen to Mr. Graves talk. There was a long pause on the other end of the line.

"Credence, what's the matter?" Graves asked suddenly, apparently sensing that something was wrong.

"It's nothing!" Credence said hastily, but Mr. Graves wasn't buying any of it.

"You can tell me, Credence, really." he said in a gentle tone that made Credence want to spill everything that was bothering him. He bit his tongue though. He couldn't do that, he was afraid he would just start crying again and he really didn't need to suffer through that kind of embarrassment.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Credence said instead, half-admitting to Graves that something was indeed wrong.

Mr. Graves went silent for a long moment. Great, now he'd done it. Mr. Graves was probably annoyed that Credence would call him for something so stupid, sulking on the phone like a baby.

"What's your favorite kind of movie, Credence?" Mr. Graves asked out of the blue.

"What?" Credence said, confusion clear in his voice, not sure how to answer. Why would Mr. Graves want to know?

"Your favorite type of movie. What do you like to watch?" Mr. Grave reiterated, which didn't actually make anything clearer, but Credence thought about it nonetheless. They didn't have a lot of new movies to watch at home, but Credence found some weird comfort in all the old movies they had. His mom had a huge collection of movies that were old even back when she was Credence's age. She had said that she didn't need them anymore and that they were now Credence's, and Credence truly treasured them, equal parts touched by his mother's generosity and enchanted by these little time capsules. 

"I really like old movies. They may not have the best special effects, but I think they have their own charm." Credence mumbled into his pillow, still in thought. Realizing that he shouldn't behave like a bratty teenager, mumbling into his pillow, Credence turned around, instead staring at the ceiling with his phone still to his ear. He still didn't understand why Mr. Graves wanted to know.

There was a moment of silence and Credence could hear some typing on the other end of the line. Then, "Ah, they are showing a special feature right now, of this movie 'Obscurus Awakened'." Mr. Graves said, and there was a pause. Credence held his breath. "I want you to know that you don't have to say yes, okay? But if you want we could go and watch that together. You can also pick the theater."

Credence didn't know what to say, still holding his breath. He stared up at the ceiling. Did Mr. Graves just ask him to go see a movie together? Almost like a date? That just couldn't be.

"You don't have to agree, Credence, it's okay. It was just an idea." Mr. Graves said after several heartbeats and Credence realized he hadn't answered yet.

"N-no, I-" when Credence thought about it, he really wanted to go, but should he really? "I would really like that." he ended up saying, biting his lip.

"Okay. And you're sure? I don't want you to feel pressured or anything, you understand?" Mr. Graves said, sounding really serious about making sure Credence was okay with this. Credence swallowed hard. Why wouldn't he be okay with this? In theory Credence realized that Mr. Graves and him had some kind of work relationship, but he felt like he got to know Graves better through their text conversations over the past few weeks. And the idea of going to the theater with Mr. Graves sounded really appealing to him.

"Yes, I'm sure, Mr. Graves." Credence said, determined, before he could think too much about it. He didn't want to doubt himself again and talk himself out of finally having a bit of _fun_. 

"Great. Are you free this afternoon, perhaps?" Mr. Graves asked, sounding a touch relieved. Credence looked at the clock. It was a Saturday, he had the day off from work and he had finished all his extra chores around the house in a fit of frustration already. So going to the theater with Mr. Graves definitely sounded better than sulking in his room for the rest of the day.

"Yes." Credence said simply, and Mr. Graves hummed. Credence felt like his chest was going to burst. Had he really just done that?

"Okay, I have a meeting I have to go to in a minute, but after that, I should be free. Shouldn't take more than an hour. Just tell me a time and a place and I'll meet you there." Mr. Graves said, and after a short moment of silence he added "I'll call a cab for you, just tell me where you want to get picked up."

"Oh, no, it's not- uhm, it's not very far, Mr. Graves." Credence protested. There was only one theater he knew about and that was only a ten minute walk away from here. He couldn't remember the last time he actually went there to see a movie (he couldn't remember the last time he saw a movie at the theater, period), but he always passed by it on his way to work on the bus.

"Well, okay then. If you need anything after all, just call me, okay?" Mr. Graves said and Credence assured him that he would do so. Credence told Mr. Graves the place and looked up what time the movie would be shown and they set up the meeting in front of the theater. Now Credence had about two hours to worry about his outfit and he would need every second of it.

 

\---------

 

When Credence got to the theater, Graves was already waiting for him, despite the fact that Credence had made sure to come ten minutes early. There was an awkward moment of "Do we shake hands, or just say hello, or something else?" as Credence stepped towards him. Or at least that was how he felt. 

However, Graves took the decision and possible embarrassment from him by putting his hands in the pockets of his pants and greeting him with a smile. Credence returned it, if a bit hesitantly and they walked towards the counter together.

"How is your paper coming along, Credence?" Mr. Graves asked him.

"Oh, it's going quite well. The first draft is almost done, then it just needs some more editing and I'll be done." Credence said, cheerfully. He was already quite proud of his paper and the amount of research he was able to do. Mr. Graves had even directed Credence towards some forums where he could get more information and some different perspectives on things regarding sugar daddies.

"I'm glad to hear that. I hope I could help a bit at least." Mr. Graves said with a gentle smile. At that, Credence audibly gasped.

"Of course you did, Mr. Graves!" Credence said, maybe a bit too loudly. "You were a great help. I don't know what I would have done without you." he continued, at a moderately reduced volume.

"Well, that's good to hear," Mr. Graves said, as they arrived at the counter.

Graves ordered two tickets while Credence was still trying to calculate how much he would have to pay and before he could even reach for his wallet, Graves already turned back to him with their tickets in hand. Credence wasn't really sure how to feel about that so he simply said, "Thank you, Mr. Graves."

Credence looked around, slightly uncomfortable with the fact that Mr. Graves was paying for him again. As they walked in, he got an idea.

"Mr. Graves?"

"Yes?"

"Can I... pay for the popcorn?"

Graves looked like he wanted to protest, but seeing Credence's determined face made him pause and nod.

"Go ahead." he said and Credence could feel a slight rush of relief run through him. He almost tripped over his own legs, walking to the counter.

After they walked into their according theater, they settled into their seats with a medium-sized bucket of popcorn nestled between them. The theater was quite empty, save for a few people in the rows in front of them. It was an old movie after all, and Credence didn't mind. He couldn't really say he would prefer sitting in a crowd of people, anyway. 

The movie was a period-based drama that Credence had never actually heard of before. Apparently it was a long-lost movie from a famous director who had passed away last year. Because of that, some theaters decided to show his greatest hits, along with this gem. Credence immediately lost himself in the story, mesmerized by the magic of theater he had forgotten existed. There was just something special about seeing a movie on a big screen in a dark theater that watching something at home couldn't even get close to.

Credence was so enthralled with the story that he didn't even notice he had grabbed Mr. Graves's arm at a particularly intense scene. The music had subsided and the only thing you could hear was the character on screen breathing, looking at something the viewer wasn't allowed to see. Credence was so tense, he needed something to grip and apparently Graves's arm was the next best thing he could get.

Only once the scene was over did he hear Mr. Graves chuckle next to him and realized what he had done. Credence immediately drew his hand back as though he'd been burned, apologizing with reddened cheeks. Even though Graves tried telling him it was fine, Credence couldn't shake off the embarrassment. What had he been thinking, just clutching Mr. Graves's arm like that?

Credence had a hard time focusing on the movie again at first, but soon he found himself sucked into the scene unfolding in front of him. By the end of the movie, Credence was practically beaming. It's been so long since he had watched a movie in a theater, and it was such a great one on top of it all.

"So, how did you like the movie?" Mr. Graves asked him when they got up and Credence couldn't help himself.

"I loved it! I thought the characters were well-developed and there was so much attention to detail." Credence said excitedly, launching into a small speech about all of the little things he'd noticed and dissecting the characters' decisions. Credence already forgot about his little faux-pas earlier and Mr. Graves didn't even mention it. They were walking down the street together with no particular goal in mind. At least not consciously. Credence was so caught up in talking that he didn't even notice he was the only one talking about the movie. He stopped abruptly, shaming himself into a momentary silence. 

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Graves." Credence stuttered. How could he have been so selfish?

"Whatever for, Credence?" Mr. Graves asked, bewildered.

"I didn't even ask how you liked the movie, I'm sorry!" Credence exclaimed, but Mr. Graves just laughed, clearly amused about Credence's little outburst. Credence cleared his throat, trying to regain some composure.

"So, how did _you_ like the movie, Mr. Graves?" Credence asked as nonchalantly as he could muster.

"It was certainly very interesting." Mr. Graves said simply, a small smile playing around his lips and looking as though he was still contemplating the answer. Credence inhaled sharply. 

"You didn't like it?" Credence immediately assumed, horrified by the idea that he had been the only one enjoying himself. He should have let Mr. Graves choose a movie. Why didn't he ask if Mr. Graves even liked old movies? He should have-

While Credence was having a minor internal breakdown, Graves was trying to hide his grin behind his hand.

"I did like it, don't worry. Although, I think I like listening to you talk about it even more." Mr. Graves explained with a sly sort of smile, and Credence felt his cheeks heat up, like they did so often with Mr. Graves around. After a somewhat awkward pause, because Credence didn't know what to say to _that_ , Mr. Graves broke the silence. 

"You want me to call a cab for you?" he asked. Credence looked at the streets around them. It seemed he had unknowingly walked in the general direction of his home. It was only a few more blocks away.

"No, don't worry. My house isn't very far from here." Credence said, turning to the street he'd have to go on, waiting for Mr. Graves to follow.

"Oh, may I accompany you home, then?" Mr. Graves asked and Credence started, half-turning to look at him. He hadn't even thought about the fact that Mr. Graves didn't know where he lived, but when Credence thought about it more, he wouldn't really mind it. Graves seemed like he was a genuinely nice person. And aside from all that, he didn't want to part from Mr. Graves just yet.

"No, I would like that." Credence answered with a shy smile, which Graves returned.

"Remember that part in the movie, when..." Credence started gushing again while they walked and Graves listened to everything he had to say.

When they were within a block from his house, Credence slowed his steps and stopped, Graves doing the same and looking at him expectantly. After a pause, Credence spoke up again.

"My house is over there..." Credence looked away as he mused over how to phrase this. "I don't think my mom would appreciate seeing us together. I-I mean, she doesn't know about my project, she... She doesn't really care about what I do in college... I wouldn't know how to explain-"

Graves cut in, not unkindly. "It's okay, Credence." Graves laid a hand on Credence's shoulder with a gentle look that belied an undercurrent of concern. 

"I'm glad you liked the movie. I hope I was able to cheer you up, at least a little bit." Mr. Graves said, and Credence flushed red. Did Graves really invite him to see a movie because he seemed upset over the phone? Why would he do something like that?

Credence's throat was so dry and tight, he barely managed to squeeze out a simple "Thank you, Mr. Graves."

Mr. Graves squeezed his shoulder and, with a nod and a smile, turned around to leave. Credence caught himself staring after him and quickly turned around to walk to his house, left alone with his thoughts and feelings as he walked up the steps to their front door, his feet getting heavier with each step. The visit at the theater already felt like a dream, not like it had really just happened. It didn't feel like it was even _possible_ to have happened.

When he opened the front door, Credence suddenly felt exhausted. It was as though he had used up all of his emotions for the day. And yet... 

He was happy. Well and truly _happy_. Even if it only lasted for a little while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first of all, thank you guys so much for all the comments and kudos up until now <3 I really appreciate it and it's the best motivation a writer can get!
> 
> As always, my eternal gratitude for my amazing editor [tsund0ku_library](http://archiveofourown.org/users/tsund0ku_library)!!! You're the best!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this new chapter!! If you have some feedback for me, I would love to hear it in the comments or on [tumblr](http://ilibra.tumblr.com) or on [twitter](https://twitter.com/iLiibra)! Feel free to hit me up on tumblr or twitter if you wanna talk about Gradence, btw! (I'm also taking Gradence fic requests right now, so if you have something, let me know on the platform of your choice!)


	4. The Proposal

Credence didn't actually plan to tell Newt about his theater date with Mr. Graves, but it somehow slipped out as they were walking to their class and talking about what they did this weekend. Credence had never been good at lying, or even lying by omission.

"You went to the theater with him?" Newt asked, surprise written all over his face. The surprise was replaced by concern in the blink of an eye. "Are you sure this was a good idea?"

"We just went to see a movie, Newt. It's no big deal, honestly!" Credence defended himself, albeit weakly. He knew this whole thing would sound weird to any outsiders, but it had just felt right to go with Mr. Graves, especially when he was feeling miserable. But how could he explain that to Newt?

"And did he pay for everything?" Newt asked, eyebrow raised warily.

"No...” Credence tried to argue. “I paid for the popcorn." He was fully aware how weak his offering was in comparison. It had felt like the right thing to do at the time, but what was one bowl of popcorn to two movie tickets? It had been _expensive_ popcorn, though.

"I don't know, Cree. I'm just concerned that Mr. Graves might be trying to make you, you know… his new sugar baby or something? Sneakily?" Newt said with clear concern in his voice and Credence gasped. Mr. Graves wouldn't do something like that, right?

"He is _not_ trying to do that! He's just being nice, Newt." Credence said, almost offended on Mr. Graves's behalf. It'd made Credence so happy that someone had genuinely tried to cheer him up when he'd felt down. He really didn't want to believe that Graves did that with a different goal in mind. He desperately wanted to believe that someone was trying to make him happy _just_ to make him happy. With no thought of what they could get out of it.

"But how can you be sure about that? Why is he still keeping in touch with you, anyway? You pretty much finished your paper by now, right?" Newt threw questions at him, and with each one Credence got angrier, more instinctively defensive. It was not Mr. Graves's fault that they were still in touch. They were both initiating conversations from time to time, and by now Credence was sure they had developed a genuine friendship. At least that's what he wanted to believe.

All these facts were swirling around in his head, and yet Credence didn't know how to answer. Newt could apparently see the conflicting feelings in Credence's expression and let out a sigh.

"See, I don't want to fight with you. I'm just concerned. Maybe you should just ask him to see if you're both on the same page, how about that?" Newt suggested, patting Credence's shoulder gently.

"Yeah, maybe." Credence said, deflating a bit. He knew that Newt had a point, he just had a hard time admitting to himself that Mr. Graves might have had ulterior motives. But Newt was right, he should ask Mr. Graves to confirm that they were on the same page about what this relationship was exactly. He should just talk to Mr. Graves and confirm what he was _expecting_ out of this relationship, exactly.

"What are you guys talking about?" Tina surprised both of them, popping up next to them in the halls. Credence's mind went into panic mode. Had she heard them? And if so, how much did she hear? Credence really didn't feel ready to explain everything to Tina just yet.

"Oh, I was just telling Cree about the research I did this weekend at the zoo. I watched the penguins again; they were showing some really interesting behavior. Oh, and did you know that each penguin has a distinct call, allowing individuals to find their mate and their chicks even in large groups of about a thousands of penguins. It's probably not necessary for them at the zoo, but I thought it was pretty cool." Newt said and with that, good friend that he was, saving him from having to go over everything with Tina and Credence let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Tina seemed to buy it, so it was cautiously safe to assume that she didn't catch anything from their previous conversation and they easily transitioned into casual conversation. Although Credence didn't miss the quick, nervous glances Newt was sneaking in his direction every chance he got.

When he got home that evening, Credence immediately hid in his room, avoiding any interactions with his family. With Newt's words still filling his head, he sent a text to Mr. Graves, asking if they could meet up at the coffee shop where they first met. Not even a full minute later, Mr. Graves answered, agreeing and suggesting that they could arrange something for tomorrow afternoon.

And so it was set up. Credence could already feel his stomach flipping, just thinking about what he would be asking Mr. Graves tomorrow. And more importantly, he was dreading the answer he would get.

 

\------

 

Credence didn't feel much different from the first time he was standing in front of the doors to the coffee shop, about to meet Mr. Graves. The excitement of seeing Mr. Graves again however, was drowned out by the dread of what they were going to talk about. Credence had been evasive when Graves wanted to know why Credence invited him, not sure how to explain it. He didn't want to lie again, saying that it had something to do with his project, although from some point of view that might be true.

When he got to the coffee shop, he spotted Mr. Graves, who was once again already seated at a table with two steaming mugs of coffee sitting in front of him on the table to strengthen the feeling of deja-vu.

"Hello, Mr. Graves." Credence said with a troubled smile as he sat down at the table.

"Credence, good to see you again." Graves said, a gentle smile on his face that seemed so genuine. Credence didn't know what to do, so he tried to busy himself with pouring copious amounts of sugar into his coffee mug. Graves looked down, a private smile of amusement on his face at the almost sickly amount of sugar Credence was subjecting his coffee to.

"So, was there something you wanted to talk about, or...?" Graves left the question open and Credence knew exactly what he wanted to talk about. Figuring out how to start, however, was a different story.

"I..." he tried, but before he could think of anything, his phone buzzed, and Credence could use any distraction he could get right now. Credence waved his phone, eyebrows raised, and Graves made a gesture for him to go ahead.

As he read the message, he realized that he could have done very well without it. His face visibly fell and he turned as white as a sheet.

"Credence, what's wrong?" Mr. Graves obviously noticed the devastated look on his face, concern shining in his eyes. Credence could only clutch his phone to his chest, not sure if he should actually say something or not.

"Please, Credence, you can tell me." Mr. Graves said, seeing Credence's hesitation. Credence bit his lip. He wanted to tell Mr. Graves, but he also didn't want to bother him with his stupid problems. In the end, though, his needy side won out and he opened his mouth, voice hushed.

"My mom, she just told me she took the money I've been saving to pay some bills she couldn't cover herself. I've been... saving up for a while now and I understand that helping out the family is more important, but... I've been saving up for... _something_ and now I have to start all over again." Credence said haltingly, embarrassed about all this.

This wasn't the first time his mom had done this and, despite the fact he'd tried hiding his box somewhere else, she found it again. And he knew that he shouldn't be greedy and demand to keep the money for himself, but he _was_ the one working for it after all. He wouldn't be able to protest in his own defense when he got home, though. His mother would ensure there was no space, no room in the conversation for his arguments. She would state that the family business came before personal business, and that he was lucky to even have a roof over his head and food in his belly. Even if he had to shop for and make that food himself.

It felt like his dreams to someday move out were dashed _yet again_ , that fuzzy, warm mental image of an apartment all to himself brushed aside by his mother as easily as a hand through a puff of smoke.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Mr. Graves said. Credence noticed he didn't press him on what exactly he was saving up for and Credence felt grateful for that. He swallowed, throat already unbearably tight. "You know, I could always lend you something, if-"

Credence was already shaking his head before Graves could finish. That's exactly what he didn't want to happen, Mr. Graves pitying him. Credence tossed the phone onto the table with a carelessness he rarely had, frustration bubbling up within him to mix with the deep despair. It really shouldn't affect him this badly.

"I'm sorry, but there's no way, Mr. Graves." he said. There was not only no way he could ever repay him, but there was no way Credence would sink to taking money from Mr. Graves- or _anyone_ , for that matter- for basically nothing in return.

"I wouldn't ask you to pay it back or anything. I would be happy to help out." Mr. Graves said helpfully, seemingly reading his mind, but Credence shook his head no again.

"I can't take something from you without anything in return. And it's not that bad, really. I just need to start saving up again." Credence said too quickly, embarrassed. It wasn't like he was in that much of a dire need for money. His next paycheck was only a few weeks away and if push came to shove, he still had his savings for college, tucked away in an envelope. He'd just have to hope there wasn't anything he had to spend money on for the rest of the month.

Mr. Graves looked deep in thought for a moment, taking a stately sip of his coffee as he evidently tried to ascertain whether or not he should argue his case further.

"Then... what would you say about a platonic sugar daddy relationship?" Graves said, and before Credence could even think about protesting, Mr. Graves held up his hand. "It's just a suggestion, Credence. I would be happy to help you out. Platonic, it would be _platonic_."

Credence was about to dismiss Graves's proposal reflexively, but the other man's sincere gaze made him pause. He still didn't like the idea of taking money from Mr. Graves, but the idea of spending more time with him sounded great. Why anyone, and especially someone like Mr. Graves, would pay Credence to spend time with him, Credence had no idea.

"And what would that entail exactly?" Credence asked after a long pause, genuinely curious. You know, for science reasons, never mind the fact that he already finished his paper. He wasn't _seriously_ considering the proposition.

"Well, I would be pleased if we could have lunch or dinner together on a regular basis. Say, once or twice a week. You could also come with me to the occasional business dinner, but I wouldn't ask that of you if were really opposed to the idea." Graves explained, looking thoughtful. Business dinners sounded scary to Credence, but getting to regularly have lunch with Mr. Graves seemed almost to good to be true. And with pay!

It seemed like Mr. Graves noticed Credence's conflicted expression, because he tried to reassure him with a soft smile.

"You don't have to give me an answer right away, of course. Just think about it, okay?" Mr. Graves said in a gentle tone. Despite the kindness Mr. Graves seemed to be showing, for some reason Credence felt irritated and suspicious, something nagging him in the back of his mind. He suddenly remembered Newt's words and why he had arranged this meeting in the first place.

"Mr. Graves, was this your plan from the very beginning?" Credence asked quietly, knowing exactly how rude he sounded, but unable to find another way to put it. He could think about apologizing later.

"What do you mean?" Mr. Graves asked, taken aback, his eyebrows knitting together. Credence bit his lip. He felt bad for accusing Mr. Graves of this, but Newt was right, he had to make sure. So he swallowed and took a deep breath.

"Did you have ulterior motives when you agreed to the interview with me? Were you planning to make me your... sugar baby?" Credence almost whispered, afraid to hear the answer. For a moment Graves looked genuinely shocked, but then he smoothed out his expression. There was a charged moment of silence before Graves spoke again.

"I will admit, I clicked on your profile because I was interested in you. I'm not going to deny that. When I read about your project and that you weren't actually looking for a sugar daddy, I was a bit disappointed. But I can assure you, I respect you and your decisions and if you don't want anything to do with this, that's alright." Graves explained calmly. He caught Credence's eye. "I like you, Credence. I think you have an intriguing personality and I would love to spend more time with you, but if you don't want that, that's okay."

Mr. Graves sounded so sincere, there was no way he wasn't telling the truth. Credence looked down in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Graves, I didn't mean to..." Credence started, but Mr. Graves let out gentle chuckle. "It's okay, I understand that you're concerned. But you can take my word for it, I would never want to push you into something you don't want." Mr. Graves reassured him. Credence could sense nothing but honesty in Graves's words, and he felt bad for practically accusing Mr. Graves of manipulating him into being a sugar baby.

"As I said, you don't have to give me an answer right away. Just think about it, okay?" Graves extended his hand and it looked as though he wanted to touch Credence's cheek, but settled for his shoulder instead.

Credence didn't know what to say to that, so he simply nodded.

Parting ways with Mr. Graves felt weird this time, like there was an unspoken promise to see each other again very soon, but only if Credence wanted to. And Credence so badly wanted to, but under what circumstances? He didn't know yet.

He should think about it, Graves had said. Oh, and thinking he did. He considered asking Newt for his opinion or even Tina as an unbiased party, but that was out of the question. He knew he might have to tell her eventually, but now was not the time. And when it came down to it, Credence was the only person who could decide if he wanted to be a sugar baby, even just a platonic one.

But could Credence really do this? Could he be okay with taking money from Mr. Graves, just in exchange for some company? His paper taught him that this wasn't an unusual relationship, especially for a student, but was this really something he could do? There was no denying that he liked Mr. Graves, so spending more time with him would be more than Credence would have ever hoped for. But was this really the right thing to do? How was he supposed to know?

 

\--------

 

Credence came home from work late. He had to help Jacob, the owner of the bakery he was working at, with cleaning up the store because one of his coworkers had called in sick. Jacob had been sweet about it though, apologizing profusely and shoving some of his newest baked creations into his hands as he left the bakery. As far as apologies go, these were definitely some of the best-tasting ones.

Stepping through the door, Credence wanted nothing more but to fall face-first into bed, but once he walked into the kitchen he knew that wouldn't be an option.

"There you are! It's your turn to make dinner, and I have a migraine anyway. The girls are already waiting." his mother said, not looking up from the newspaper she was reading. It was not actually his turn to make dinner, but Credence obeyed anyway, knowing there was never any room to argue. Even though every fiber in his body wanted to go to bed and sleep, he threw together a healthy stew with all vegetables he could find in their fridge.

After dinner and several comments from his mother about how the stew had been too bland and not to her taste, Credence went up to his room. He was forever thankful for his sister Chastity, who volunteered to do the dishes instead of him.

Completely worn out, he went up to his room and pulled out his not-so-secret secret box. The money that had been inside was now gone, taken away by his mother. He put it back where it belonged and reached under his bed to the very edge under it and pulled out an envelope. When he looked inside, he let out a sigh of relief. The money he had put aside for his college funds was still there. It wasn't nearly enough, but you have to start somewhere, right?

Nevertheless, his box was empty and he had to start saving all over again so that he would be able to move out sometime soon. It wouldn't have been much longer and he could have safely considered moving out. He couldn't have afforded any more than a small dorm room or something similar, but he would have been gone from this house. He wouldn't have to listen to his mom telling him that he wasn't doing enough, living in her house for free. He could have focused on his studies without maintaining a 4-person household. In his own apartment, where the only one he would have to clean up after was himself.

Credence thought back to what Mr. Graves had discussed yesterday. Having some financial stability sounded great, but taking money from Mr. Graves just in return for a platonic relationship? Graves did say he liked him and wanted to spend more time with him, but that was something Credence still couldn't wrap his head around. Did Mr. Graves really mean that? Credence had a hard time believing it, although his words had seemed sincere and Mr. Graves really didn't strike him as someone to lie. Would it really be okay to accept his proposal?

Credence was tossing and turning in his bed, a million questions racing through his mind. One part of him wanted to think about it more, but the other part wanted to make a decision right now and settle this once and for all.

Credence opened his eyes, staring at the shadowy corners of the ceiling. His eyes ached with the need for sleep, but he knew he couldn't rest until he came to grips with his decision. Was he making the right one? It was a very lucrative offer, he didn't want to be rash...

He deliberated further into the night, perfectly still as he thought it through. Yes. Yes, he knew what he must tell Mr. Graves. But later, not now. Tomorrow, after he got a decent night's sleep and rested his full, busy mind.

And Credence fell, utterly exhausted, into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys, again, thank you sooo much for all your feedback on the last chapter, over 200 kudos and over 100 subscriptions ;o; It really means a lot to me and makes me keep going!!
> 
> Huge thanks to my amazing editor [tsund0ku_library](http://archiveofourown.org/users/tsund0ku_library) yet again! <3
> 
> I would really love to hear what you thought of this chapter either here in the comments, or on [tumblr](http://ilibra.tumblr.com) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/iLiibra) :D Feel free to talk to me about Gradence or send over some prompts!!
> 
> Also, I'm sorry that my upload schedule is so slow, but I try to upload at least one chapter a month! I also upload some shorter fics from time to time on here, so if you need something to tide you over, give them a try :>


	5. The Lunch Date

Credence wasn't planning on giving Mr. Graves an answer so soon, but once he made up his mind, he couldn't possibly wait. He had to tell Mr. Graves.

He still didn't like the idea of Graves giving him money for essentially nothing in return, or at least for something Credence wouldn't consider valuable like Credence's company... It's just too baffling to imagine that his time is so valuable that Graves would indeed pay for it. Yet, Credence's wish for financial stability and his desperate need to spend more time with Mr. Graves ended up overpowering his self-doubt and finally silenced his debate.

Credence was planning on calling Mr. Graves right away the next day. He had made up his mind the night before after all. But his day ended up being so busy and long that he couldn’t make any time until late in the evening.

But now he was just sitting here, on his bed, in his room and had been staring at his phone for the past 15 minutes. Even though he was assured in his answer, it was admittedly much more difficult than anticipated to actually tap the call button and talk to Mr. Graves. Credence shook his head frustratedly and hit the call button before he could talk himself out of it again.

But he immediately regretted it. It was probably way too late in the evening to be bothering Mr. Graves. As the dial-tone changed to ringing, Credence's nerves began to rise. What if Mr. Graves was already in bed? He felt an urge to cancel the call, but Graves had answered before he could hang up.

"Good evening, Credence." Mr. Graves's deep voice greeted him, and Credence could feel his heart beating in his throat. It made him feel a bit dizzy.

"Good evening... I'm sorry for calling so late." Credence said, embarrassment prickling up his neck, sure he had to end this call as soon as possible. "I shouldn't have- uhm, we can talk tomorrow, if you want..." Credence trailed off, convinced that he was bothering Graves. But Graves just chuckled in response.

"Don't worry, Credence, it's fine." After a pause, he asked, "What did you want to talk about?" Credence swallowed hard because even though he had thought about it, he had no idea how to phrase this.

"Well, I've been thinking about... your offer." he took a deep breath, suddenly wary that someone could be eavesdropping, and in a whisper, he continued, "About becoming your sugar baby."

"Oh?" Mr. Graves said, which was not the reaction he had anticipated, but Credence wasn't going to complain. "And what do you think?" Mr. Graves added.

Credence apparently took a moment too long to collect his thoughts, so Mr. Graves spoke up again. "It would not offend me if you've called just to decline, just so you know."

Credence knew he had to jump over his damn shadow and tell Graves what he was truly thinking or this would never go anywhere.

And with as much determination as he could gather, he said: "No, Mr. Graves, I called because I wanted to take you up on that offer." With that, he heard a sharp intake of breath over the line.

"And you're sure?" Mr. Graves asked, always so considerate. Credence had been nodding in agreement before he remembered that Graves couldn't actually see him doing so.

"Yes, I'm sure." And he was, he was sure about this, even if he was a nervous wreck. Mr. Graves let out something that sounded like a relieved sigh. Throughout their conversation, Mr. Graves kept stressing that he didn't want Credence to feel obligated to agree. Credence knew he wasn't; Credence was choosing this, and he was certain he would continue to choose this as time went on.

"Great, then..." Mr. Graves started and… did he really just sound nervous? No, that couldn't be. Whatever it was, he quickly recovered. "How about we meet up on Friday for lunch? Around noon? We can talk through all the details then. You could call it our first official date." He said with a soft chuckle. A deep blush began to settle high on his cheeks. Their trip to the theater could technically be called a date, but now this was all _"official"_. And Graves saying that so plainly made his head spin.

"I would like that." Credence said in a weird act of bravery, but meaning every word. He wanted Graves to know.

"Great. I know a nice diner near your neighborhood. I'll text you the address, but I'll send a taxi to get you, okay?" Graves said and Credence was about to protest that he could walk there on his own, but then thought better of it. This was okay after all, wasn't it? This was part of what being a sugar baby entailed. He didn't want to admit how excited he felt.

"Okay. Uhm... see you on Friday then." Credence said, feeling short of breath from the excitement and already wanting it to be Friday. And it was only just Wednesday!

"I'm looking forward to it." Mr. Graves said and Credence was pretty sure he could hear a smile in Graves's voice.

After the phone call ended, Credence was lying on his bed, phone still held next to his ear. Exciting thoughts raced through his mind. He was not sure what to think about all of this. It was a date... a date! Well, in a platonic kind of way, mind you, but still a date, nonetheless.

 

\------

 

Friday couldn't come fast enough at all. The next few days were filled with his classes, but even his studies couldn't help pass the time. Thankfully, Credence didn't have any classes with Newt for the rest of the week, or he might have asked Newt for some advice. Because when he thought about it, he was already dreading Newt's reaction to him becoming a sugar baby. 

Would Newt think he was crazy? Would Newt accuse Graves of manipulating him, even though that was far from the truth? He concluded that it wouldn't change anything to stress over that now. He decided that spending his time being excited about something real was better than being worried about something hypothetical, so he went on with his days.

When Friday finally approached, Credence was basically just one big bundle of nervousness. He was fussing over his outfit again and again; all the while stressing over how he should behave in front of Graves. They were still the same people after all, but their relationship had taken a serious turn.

He settled for a button-down shirt that was way too tight and uncomfortable for his taste, but it was the nicest looking thing he could find. He'd had it for years, but he couldn't remember ever wearing it after his mom got gave it to him for Christmas. But he also wouldn't dare throwing it away.

As he continued getting ready, he realized that the ball of nervousness in his stomach had begun to shift into excited curiosity, which made the process feel much more fun. He was wondering what the diner would be like, what they would eat, what Mr. Graves would say, and what they would talk about.

When Credence first stepped out of his house he didn't notice the taxi that Mr. Graves would've sent. When he looked down the street to his right, he spotted a well-dressed man leaning against a taxi parked a few houses away. Had Mr. Graves told the driver not to park directly in front of the house because of what Credence had mentioned last time? Heat was rising to his cheeks with that memory.

"Are you Credence Barebone?" the driver asked him once Credence had reached the car.

"Uhm, yes." Credence answered, nervously.

Credence apologized for being late, even though he was a few minutes early, but the driver just held the door open for him with a polite smile. The drive wasn't very long; Credence thought he might have seen the diner a few times before, albeit from afar as he had never thought about eating there before now. Once they had arrived, he was sure to thank the driver as he made his way out of the taxi and towards the restaurant.

Mr. Graves was waiting for him at the entrance instead of inside this time, and it made Credence's heart jump and beat rapidly with every approaching step.

"Hello, Mr. Graves." Credence greeted him once he was within reach. He swallowed his apology for being late because he knew he wasn't. And there it was again, that awkward moment of him not knowing how to greet Mr. Graves. But like before, Graves decided for him, placing a hand on Credence's shoulder and gently squeezing it with a soft, warm smile on his face.

"Good to see you, Credence." Graves said as he held the door open like the true gentleman he was, and Credence stepped in.

The diner looked like the perfect mix of classy and cozy with separate tables spaced evenly from one another, allowing you some privacy during your meal. Yes, it was quite fancy, but not so fancy that Credence felt out-of-place. It looked comfortable and Credence felt as such. Mr. Graves guided them to their table and when they sat down in their seats, a short moment of silence settled over them. All of Credence's nervousness resurfaced and he could feel his heart in his throat.

After the waiter brought them their menus, Credence stared at the words like he could find some sort of answer in them. He felt awkward... like he didn't know how to act around Mr. Graves now, in this new situation. Mr. Graves seemed to notice Credence's distress like he always did and tried to catch his eye with a gentle smile.

"You don't have to be so nervous, Credence. We can talk about everything." he said, clearly trying to ease Credence from his apparent discomfort. Credence put his menu down on the table in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Graves. This is just all really... new to me." he said and took a deep breath. Mr. Graves tried calming him down with an understanding smile.

"And that's why we should talk a few things through, don't you think?" Mr. Graves suggested and Credence nodded determinately. He could do this.

Mr. Graves looked like he was about to say something, but then seemed to reconsider, looking down at the menu in front of him.

"But maybe we should order something to eat first." Graves said and Credence nodded in agreement, picking his menu back up, now genuinely looking at the dishes listed. He wasn't sure what to pick since everything sounded delicious. He usually settled for a sandwich or some soup from the previous evening for lunch. His eyes soon landed on something he couldn't remember eating in a long while, not even sure when the last time would have been.

When the waiter came to get their orders, Credence was beaming with excitement, despite his uncertainty over whether he should be this excited about something so simple. Graves ordered some water and a sandwich for himself and then looked at Credence expectantly. Credence took a deep breath.

"A large coke," something he wasn't allowed to drink at home, "and a cheeseburger with french fries, please." Credence finished his order. The waiter thanked them and turned around, so now Credence and Mr. Graves were alone again.

Credence was faced again with what they were actually going to talk about, and his heart rate spiked. Mr. Graves's gentle smile could only soothe him so much, after all.

"So, Credence." Mr. Graves started, "Would you like to talk this through now or have you changed your mind in any way?" Credence sucked in a breath, surprised at the question. But he had not changed his mind. If he were forced to think even harder about this than he already has, he would only get more nervous and confused. But he had made up his mind. He was confident, and he was not going to change anything now.

"We should talk this through." Credence said with more confidence in his voice than he was honestly feeling.

"Okay then. As I said, I would be happy to share some lunch or dinner whenever we can work it into both of our schedules." Graves explained and seemed to remember something because he reached into his bag and pulled out a small slip of paper.

"Speaking of which, it would be great if you could send me an e-mail with your schedule if you can." Graves added and Credence took the paper with what seemed to be Mr. Graves's private e-mail since it looked hand-written. Credence put the paper in his wallet, making a mental note to do what Graves had asked of him as soon as he got home.

"And now, I know you don't like talking about it, but we have to figure out how I can help you out." Credence knew what Mr. Graves was talking about; he didn't even have to say it flat-out. Credence knew this would come up at some point. That didn't mean he was prepared for it, but he nodded, nonetheless.

"So, I was thinking, since you probably wouldn't agree to an allowance…" Credence gasped involuntarily. Mr. Graves was definitely right about that, "What would you say if I covered your study fees for you? You could think of it as a scholarship if you want. And if you ever need anything else, you can just come to me." Mr. Graves finished with a smile.

Credence had to swallow hard. That would cost Mr. Graves a lot of money, and just for a relationship, a simple platonic one on top of all that! But then again, it would go directly to his education, and it would take such a big weight off of his shoulders. He wonders how relieved he would feel without the constant fear of falling into debt, he wonders what it would feel like not having the study fees looming over his head.

Like so often, Credence didn't know how to articulate his thoughts, so he stared down at the table in silence.

"Credence..." Mr. Graves tried to capture his attention, but then their waiter popped up to set their drinks down and Graves thanked him. With a smile and a nod, the waiter said "Your food will arrive shortly.” before leaving again.

Credence took a deep breath. There was a reason he decided to agree to this: more financial stability and most importantly, getting to spend more time with Mr. Graves. He cleared his throat and looked up at Mr. Graves with determination.

"If that would be okay with you, Mr. Graves, then I would be happy to accept." he said, his voice only trembling a little. Mr. Graves looked surprised for a moment, but then his expression smoothed into a charming happiness.

"I'm glad to hear that." he said, "Then I'm pleased to call you my sugar baby." Mr. Graves added with a smirk, causing Credence to nearly choke on the sip of his drink.

The waiter sent him a look of concern as he brought the food to their table, Credence's face was as red as a tomato, but the waiter didn't say anything about it.

"Sorry, too early?" Graves asked with a chuckle, not looking sorry at all, so Credence tried to glare at him but failed, so he ended up shaking his head instead.

Credence let out a breath and when he finally looked at the food in front of him, he couldn't hide the thrill that ran across his face. This cheeseburger looked amazingly delicious. His first bite proved that it tasted just as good as it seemed and Credence felt like he just discovered what heaven is like.

Over lunch, his typical awkwardness faded, as it tends to do with only a few minutes of conversation with Mr. Graves, but Credence still didn't feel like himself. Credence couldn't shake the feeling that he had to be better, be perfect if he were to call himself Mr. Graves's sugar baby. 

He kept adjusting his shirt, wiping his mouth after every bite, and he even tried to talk about stuff that he didn't adequately understand, just to seem like the perfect sugar baby. But of course, Mr. Graves saw right through his act, and halfway over lunch, he spoke up.

"Credence, what's the matter with you?" he asked, a frown on his face that Credence didn't like seeing. Well, this definitely wasn't playing out the way Credence thought it would.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Credence tried feigning innocence even though Credence knew exactly what Mr. Graves meant. Credence didn't want to admit he was putting on an act. So, for one last time, he adjusted his collar and prayed it would help him feel right.

Graves waved an upturned hand across the table and gestured over to Credence, "I mean that. Why do you keep doing that?" Credence felt like he was found with his hand in the cookie jar. "If you're feeling uncomfortable, you have to tell me. I don't want you to force yourself to do something you don't want to, do you understand?" Graves looked so sincere, his raw expression broke Credence's reserve.

Credence looked down at his half-eaten burger and sighed. There was no use in lying about this. Credence now realized that a relationship, sugar daddy or not, platonic or not, should be built on honesty. He should voice his doubts about being worthy of being Graves's sugar baby, no matter how embarrassed he felt about it.

"You've been pretty distant today." Mr. Graves said, and Credence realized he had been silent for too long again. It was now or never.

"I'm sorry Mr. Graves. I'm just-" Credence shook his head yet again "Like I said, this is all new to me. I'm just not sure how to behave as your... sugar baby." he said, and Graves looked at him with concern.

"Credence." Mr. Graves addressed him and put a hand on his arm, which made Credence finally look up into Graves's eyes, "You don't have to behave like anything. That's not what I want at all. You just have to be yourself. I want this because I like you and because I wanted to get to know you better." Mr. Graves explained, and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from Credence's shoulders. Credence let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

”Uhm, thank you, Mr. Graves.” Credence said, looking down with a relieved smile on his face. “And that feeling is, you know... mutual,” he added because he wanted Graves to know how he truly feels. He didn't want Graves to become his sugar daddy just to have him as a sugar daddy; far from it! A big part of why he agreed to this was so that they could spend more time together.

”I'm happy to hear that.” Mr. Graves said and picked up his sandwich with a smile on his face.

Credence felt lighter, like he could finally breathe again, even despite feeling constricted in his tight shirt that he would definitely never wear again. The conversation was flowing naturally now, as if someone had opened a dam and freed Credence from his reservations. Now Credence couldn't stop talking about everything and nothing. He was telling Graves about his opinions, thoughts, and experiences. They were talking about Credence's studies and how much his professor had liked his paper about sugar daddies. 

He then talked about his closest friends, Newt and Tina. He described how Newt always talked about animals and how Tina always worried about Newt doing something stupid. Later, he talked about his passion for old movies again and what remained on his watch-list.

Credence also learned a lot about Mr. Graves, like how busy he was with his job, but that he was still enjoying it. He spoke about Seraphina, his boss, and how she always told Graves that he was too nice to everyone. Credence learned that Mr. Graves may seem like he had everything in order, but if it wasn't for the planner on his phone and his PA at work, he'd get nothing done. And Graves told him that his house was a mess, but he didn't feel like hiring anyone to clean up after him, so he'd get into a cleaning fit every few months.

They were talking in a way that they had never done before, free and without the pretense that this wasn't about them enjoying each other's company. When it was time to part ways, Credence was almost disappointed, but he quickly reminded himself they would see each other again soon, as soon as they could find a time that would work for the both of them.

Graves called another taxi as they left the diner, this time he got into the car with Credence, stating that he had some business in the same direction of town. Credence was glad for the little extra time they got to spend with each other, even if it was just a few minutes.

Arriving near his house, Credence grew reluctant to get out of the car but ultimately decided that he would have to. To his surprise, Graves got out too, rounding the taxi to step in front of Credence.

"I had a nice time, Credence. I hope to see you again soon." he said with a tender smile on his face.

Credence had no idea what came over him, but his body moved on its own, deciding it would be good to step forward and hug Mr. Graves. After a short moment of hesitation, Mr. Graves hugged him back. Credence thought yes, this was a good idea, even if he would hide under a pillow in embarrassment as soon as he got to his room.

But for now, this was perfect. He felt warm within Graves's arms, and he could smell Graves's aftershave, a little detail that he couldn't notice before with a table between them. He tried to ignore the feeling of affection spreading throughout his body, and after another moment, he pulled back.

“Thank you, Mr. Graves. I had a good time, too.” he said, his face heating up. What was he thinking, hugging Mr. Graves like that?

“You should really stop thanking me so much.” Mr. Graves replied, again putting his hand on Credence’s arm.

“Sorry, but there’s no way I can do that.” Credence said, with a grin that made Mr. Graves laugh. The joy that Credence felt gave way to the realization that he has never before felt so free talking with someone.

Parting ways felt even harder now, and as the door of his house closed behind him, Credence couldn't help but sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter so soon, whoa!! Honestly, if it wasn't for your amazing feedback, I wouldn't have had the motivation to finish this chapter so fast :D I can't believe my silly little fic hit over 300 kudos ;o;
> 
> A huge thank you to [MajesticJ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MajesticJ/pseuds/MajesticJ) and [tsund0ku_library](http://archiveofourown.org/users/tsund0ku_library) for editing this chapter for me <3
> 
> Sorry that this chapter has gotten so long, btw!! I even put half of what was planned for this to the next chapter and it's still almost 4k words long!!
> 
> This chapter is a huge step for this fic, and I would love to hear what you think about it either here in the comments or on [tumblr](http://ilibra.tumblr.com) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/iLiibra)
> 
> PS: There's some fanart I commissioned in chapter 3 now, so check it out if you want :D


	6. The Secret

Credence was nervous, like he had been so often in the past few weeks. Newt and Credence decided to have another movie night, or rather a movie afternoon since it was still early in the day. It was a Saturday, his lunch date with Mr. Graves from yesterday still fresh in Credence’s mind. And that was exactly the problem.

They were walking towards Newt’s house, Newt talking about his newest research on rhinos and what this could mean. Usually Credence loved listening to him talk about something he was so passionate about, but today, he had a hard time following Newt’s words. Thankfully, Newt didn’t seem to notice.

When they settled down at Newt’s house, they picked a movie at random, knowing full well that they would just talk through half of it anyway. Ever since Newt and Credence had gotten through the awkward first stage that almost every friendship entailed, they had been really comfortable talking to each other. Credence had told him about his home life and how demanding it could be sometimes, about all these thoughts that he used to keep to himself. And not to forget, Credence had told him all about his social studies project from the very beginning.

But now Credence was thrown for a loop. He had no idea how to approach the subject of his new relationship with Mr. Graves. Their lunch date had been just yesterday; Credence could remember every part of it so clearly. The awkwardness, the nervousness, the relief, the fun they both had, everything. He wanted to tell Newt everything about it, express his thoughts and feelings, but the words were stuck in his throat. Credence felt like he might explode if he couldn't talk to anyone about it soon.

He knew he had to tell Newt at some point, but finding the right moment was harder than anticipated. As the movie went on, their conversation went from Newt’s latest observations, to the classes they shared and the movies they had watched before, and every time there was a pause and a possible opening for a new topic, Credence wanted to say something. His heart was hammering in his chest so hard, however, that it drowned out all of his thoughts.

Not sure what to do, Credence looked up at the screen for a change and saw two men dressed in neat business suits. He wondered if they were watching some kind of spy movie, but there was really no way to tell for sure.

Newt cocked his head and looked at Credence, as if something had just occurred to him.

“That reminds me, did you talk to that Graves guy again?” he asked, the question sounding so innocent, and yet it made Credence’s stomach flip in an instant.

There was a beat of silence and Credence tried his best not to let it stretch out for too long.

"Yes, I talked to him." he said, which was just the truth of the matter, so far. But Credence knew he would have to elaborate on that.

"And what did he say?" Newt asked, perking up, suddenly very interested and Credence didn't know how to answer that. How should he explain all of this?

"Uhm... he- we..." Credence stammered, having no idea how to phrase this. What was he supposed to say? Heat rose in his cheeks as he thought back to what had happened yesterday. Newt leaned over, putting a hand on Credence’s shoulder, not in a demanding way, he just needed something to draw his full attention, and Credence looked up into Newt’s concerned face. 

"Cre... did he do something?" Newt tried to search his face and Credence was sure he had surprise and shock written all over it, judging by how concerned Newt looked. "You can tell me." Credence swallowed hard, he had to make this right or Newt would assume something bad.

"No, it's not like that, Newt." Credence looked at the space between them, searching for the right words. "He told me that he had no ill intentions, but... that he, you know, would help me out, if I wanted him to."

Newt let out a gasp that made Credence stop. Newt let his hand drop and stared at him. Credence had to avert his gaze, he couldn't look Newt in the eyes.

"So you- you believed him? And what? You're his sugar baby now?" Newt's voice was a high pitched whisper and Credence felt a pang in his chest. This was exactly what he had been afraid of. What he didn't want to happen.

"I- I just-" Credence wanted to say something, but he had no idea what. How could he explain what a nice and genuine person Mr. Graves was? How he never pushed Credence in any direction? How Credence felt that Mr. Graves really wanted to help him?

Credence felt tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He was still staring a hole into the space between them. He could hear Newt taking a deep breath before he placed both of his hands on Credence's shoulders.

"Okay, just... tell me what happened so I can understand, okay?" Newt reassured and caught Credence's eye. Credence swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.

So Credence told him. Credence told Newt everything, because there was no use in keeping anything secret now. He told him how his mother took his money again, how Mr. Graves made him the offer of a platonic relationship, how Mr. Graves had given him the time and space he needed to think about it and how he had accepted in the end. He told Newt about Mr. Graves and how he always made sure Credence felt comfortable, he told him about their lunch date and how much he had enjoyed it, even if it was awkward at first. Everything just spilled out of him, horrified, but also happy that he could finally talk about all of this.

Newt never interrupted him except for the few questions he had, but he listened to everything he had to say, actually listened to him explaining everything. The movie on the screen had long been forgotten.

”I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how...” Credence trailed off when he was at the end of his explanation. He had no idea what Newt would think of him now and Credence had trouble looking him in the eyes. He thought he grew out of this habit, at least when it came to Newt.

There was a long beat of silence and Credence could feel his heart in his throat again.

”And you really feel like you made the right decision?” Newt asked eventually, causing Credence to look up in confusion. “Look, I'm not saying this to be mean or anything, I just want to know if you're... happy, you know?” Newt said and Credence drew in a sharp breath. It didn't take him long to form an answer to that.

”I made the right decision,” Credence said with a nod. “Newt, I really... like Mr. Graves. He's a very nice and genuine person. He doesn't make me feel like our relationship is about money at all. It's just some... I don't know, side effect?” Credence tried to put into words what he was feeling. Money was far from being the first thing that came to his mind when he thought about Mr. Graves and he wanted Newt to understand that.

Newt nodded, seemingly contemplating what Credence had told him “Well, if you're happy, that's good. Just be careful, okay?” Newt said, cocking his head again, “I'm just surprised, you know? You hardly ever let me pay for your pizza, and then you go to agree to something like this.” Although his choice of words of _'something like this'_ irritated Credence. He could hear no malice in Newt's voice and Credence could see a small smile tugging on Newt's lips. Credence couldn't help but chuckle. 

“Well, it's not like I ever expected _'something like this'_ to happen.” Credence said, a bit at a loss for words.

Newt let out a loud sigh. “Anyway, let me know if anything happens with Mr. Graves. I might not be able to beat anyone up, but I can be pretty mean!” Newt said and scrunched his face together as if to demonstrate, but it just ended up looking ridiculous, making Credence laugh.

”You don't really believe that yourself, do you?” Credence said with a chuckle. Newt couldn't even hurt a fly, quite literally, but Credence appreciated knowing Newt was looking out for him.

Newt faked looking offended, putting a hand to his chest over his heart. “You wound me, Cre.” he said and then stuck out his tongue and Credence couldn't help but laugh again, relief flooding through him. Seeing that he could still joke with Newt just like that was everything Credence wanted.

Newt laughed with him, but after a moment of silence, he got a bit more serious again, “Does Tina know anything about this yet?” he asked and Credence's stomach flipped all over again. He lowered his head, not proud of his answer.

”No, nothing.” he took a breath, “I couldn't really find the right moment yet. She's so busy with her course project right now, so I haven't seen her much.” Credence knew this was a poor excuse, but it was at least part of the truth nonetheless. Telling Newt was hard enough, and he had been involved from the beginning. What would Tina think of him when he told her? Just thinking about it made his head spin.

”You know you have to tell her eventually, right?” Newt said that like Credence didn't already know, but Credence nodded anyway.

”I know, I'm just-” Credence looked for an excuse but couldn't find one despite his fears of Tina hating him, “I will, just not right now.” This was still all new for Credence too after all. He couldn't just run around telling everyone he had a sugar daddy now, he had to take baby steps (no pun intended).

”Okay then.” Newt said and shoved Credence's arm lightly, he did that sometimes to show Credence everything was cool, and turned his face back to the screen, “So... do you have any idea what's going on here?” he asked pointing his thumb towards the movie with a grin.

”Not a clue.” Credence said and they both started laughing at the sheer ridiculousness that was unfolding on the screen, none of them having any idea why the actors were half naked and wrestling on the ground while the city seemed to be engulfed in flames in the background.

 

\------------------

 

Mr. Graves and Credence had worked out a schedule by the beginning of the next week. Credence had talked to Jacob about working fewer hours at the bakery, stating that his school work was a bit overwhelming at the moment, but he would be more than happy to help out whenever Jacob would need him. Jacob had just patted his shoulder with a smile, telling him it was fine, that he could always ask his wife Queenie to help him out too.

Credence felt bad about lying to Jacob, but he couldn't really tell him about his new source of income either. Jacob was always so kind, but talking to your boss about your new sugar daddy felt like way too much information. He had been considering quitting his job for about a second, but decided earning his own money and not relying on Graves more than he had to was a good idea. He liked working at Jacob's bakery, even if it could be a lot of work sometimes and putting money on the side was always a good idea.

With his newly earned hours of free time, he and Mr. Graves decided they would have dinner on Wednesdays, lunch on Fridays and “something special”, Graves had called it, on Sundays if they had the time. Credence had no idea what that would mean exactly, but that didn't mean he wasn't excited to find out.

Ever since Credence got to know Mr. Graves, he didn't feel as afraid to try out new things anymore. He was still a nervous wreck every time, but instead of making some excuse so he could hide somewhere, like he used to do, he actually went through with it. So when Graves asked him if he would mind going to a restaurant to eat dinner when Wednesday approached, Credence felt his stomach flip with excitement instead of fear.

After he made sure dinner for the rest of his family was prepared, he made up something about having to work on a school project at the library. For once, his mother just waved him off, satisfied that she wouldn't have to make dinner herself.

Stepping out into the cold air with an old scarf around his neck, Credence immediately spotted the car two houses down, the same driver as last time leaning against it. The driver greeted him with a smile and soon enough they were on their way to the restaurant. Mr. Graves didn't tell him where they would go, claiming he wanted to keep it a surprise. Credence was both excited and incredibly nervous.

What kind of restaurant would it be? What would they eat? And would their conversation flow as easily as last time? All these questions were swirling around in his head, Credence unable to answer any of them. He could only hope everything would go well.

When he sat down in the back seat, he noticed a plastic bag next to him on the seat, a small note with his name written in messy black lettering on top of it. Peeking inside there was a neatly folded dark red suit jacket. Credence looked down at himself in shock. In his excitement he had not thought that the restaurant they were going to might have a dress code. Only thinking about the uncomfortable tight shirt he had worn last time, he had put on a simple t-shirt and a loose hoodie under his coat.

The driver, seemingly noticing Credence's reluctance regarding the jacket, spoke up, "Oh, right. Mr. Graves said he apologizes for not informing you about the dress code in time. You can put on the jacket he picked out if you want to."

Credence couldn't help but blush at the thought of Mr. Graves buying a jacket just for him. Credence thanked the driver and carefully pulled the jacket out of the bag and got rid of his coat and hoodie. He quickly put on the jacket and his coat and scarf over it and stuffed his hoodie in the bag the suit jacket was just in. The jacket was surprisingly comfortable and, despite looking really expensive and stiff, the fabric was unbelievably soft.

Credence got increasingly more jittery the closer they got to the restaurant. Even though he had never been here, Credence could tell they were driving towards a more high-class part of town and his anxiety was ramping up again. Would Mr. Graves really want to be seen with a boy like him?

Credence tried to push these thoughts to the back of his mind when the car stopped in front of a luxurious looking building. Not any less nervous than before, Credence stepped out of the car. Credence thanked the driver who said goodbye with a smile and a "Have fun." Credence couldn't stop wondering if he wasn't the first sugar baby the driver had taken to meet with Mr. Graves. The thought wasn't too far fetched.

With his stomach in knots, Credence spotted Mr. Graves standing in front of the building, waiting for him just like last time.

"Hello, Mr. Graves." Credence said and before he could think it through, he pulled Graves into a brief, tentative hug. Mr. Graves hadn't seemed to mind last time, so Credence thought this had to be okay. And sure enough, Mr. Graves put his arms around him and hugged him back.

Credence pulled back before this had the chance to get awkward and looked at Mr. Graves with a smile. It was impossible not to smile at Mr. Graves.

"Good to see you, Credence." Mr. Graves said and put a hand to Credence's arm, the gesture already becoming so familiar and comforting to Credence by now. Getting rid of their coats at the concierge, the waiter guided them to their assigned table. The restaurant looked like something out of a movie, like there was no way Credence was seeing this with his own two eyes, he could only barely refrain from pinching himself. Seeing all the people in their fancy evening attire made Credence shiver a bit. He looked down at himself for a moment. Credence was relieved that Mr. Graves had thought about getting a jacket for him or he could have never lived through the embarrassment of turning up in a t-shirt and hoodie at such a high-class restaurant. He noticed Mr. Graves looking at him from the corner of his eyes and only then realized that he hasn't even thanked him yet.

"Thank you for the jacket." Credence told Graves as much after they had sat down. "It suits you." was all Mr. Graves said with a gentle smile on his face and Credence couldn't help but blush. He certainly wasn't used to getting compliments from anyone, even if it was all thanks to the jacket.

Looking at the menu, Credence truly had no idea what to pick this time. He had no idea how to pronounce half of the dishes listed. He was still in the middle of trying his hardest to figure out what some of the dishes could mean, if he could find something familiar, when their waiter showed up again.

Mr. Graves placed his order of something Credence had never heard of along with what he could only assume to be some sort of wine and then glanced over at Credence, who was staring down at his menu in distress.

"I- uhm…" Credence started, but didn't know how to continue. He was just about to embarrass himself in front of the waiter, who probably already thought less of him, but Mr. Graves spoke up.

"How would you like a steak with some fries?" Mr. Graves asked him in a low tone and Credence nodded, grateful for the rescue.

"Yes, please."

Graves smiled with a nod and ordered whatever the fancy equivalent to steak and fries was at this restaurant. "And a coke. Thank you." Graves added and Credence's face lit up. At least there was something universal in all restaurants. Coca Cola. 

The waiter looked at them with a polite, plastered on smile and Credence could tell what he was thinking: _What is this kid doing here?_ and even if Credence didn't like admitting it, he was thinking the same thing.

Credence didn't feel like he belonged here at all, looking around and seeing all these high-class people, probably talking about their businesses and life achievements. When he looked up at Mr. Graves again, though, he knew. He knew that Mr. Graves wasn't one of those people, defined by status or the amount of money on his bank account. He just wanted to have a nice evening with Credence, however crazy that might still sound to Credence.

"Mr. Graves-" Credence started, but Mr. Graves held up a hand to stop him and Credence couldn't help but worry he had done something wrong or incredibly rude without knowing. But Mr. Graves surprised him with his next words.

"Don't you think we're on a first-name basis by now? You can call me Percival." he said with another one of his gentle smiles. _F-first names?_ Credence's face flushed in a deep crimson. Calling Mr. Graves by his first name felt so intimate, way too intimate. But then again they were technically in a relationship now, weren't they? It really shouldn't be that much of a big deal, so why was he so embarrassed? Why did it feel like such a big step forward? All this thinking about what this meant and what they actually were just made Credence's head hurt, so he decided he should just go with it.

"Okay, uhm… Percival." Credence said. Hearing the name out of his own mouth sounded so foreign, so weird on his tongue. The man in front of him right now had always been 'Mr. Graves' to him. His mind provided the image of him to the name Mr. Graves. Even though Credence knew he would get used to it with time, replacing Mr. Graves with _'Percival'_ in his head was weird.

Mr. Gr- no, Percival, looked at him expectantly and Credence realized he was supposed to continue what he had wanted to say. But it was too late. Credence had lost his train of thought.

"I… can't remember what I wanted to say, sorry." Credence stammered, embarrassed. This whole first name business had thrown Credence for a loop. Percival just let out a roaring laugh, telling him not to worry about it before steering the conversation into a different direction.

Credence tried his best to replace 'Mr. Graves' with 'Percival' in his head and only slipped up a total number of two times. The steak he got was the best one he had ever had. Granted, he didn't have a lot to compare, but he could tell it was outstanding, and even the unnecessarily fancy-looking fries he got were unbelievably good. Percival was eating some kind of needlessly complicated looking pasta, but he seemed to like it so Credence didn't want to comment on how ridiculous it looked.

Credence had thought he would feel incredibly uncomfortable eating at such a fancy restaurant, but Percival wiped away all of his fears just with his presence. He made Credence feel like this was perfectly normal. So what if Credence had never been at a restaurant like this? Mr. Graves made him feel like he belonged here, like he had all the reason to be here.

When the evening was nearing it's end and Percival walked Credence to the taxi, Credence was hoping Percival would get in the car with him again, just to have another few minutes before the evening would be over. But those hopes were crushed when Percival said: "Have a safe trip home, Credence."

Credence's disappointment must have shown on his face, because Percival added, "Sorry, I have to get to a late meeting." and Credence immediately felt bad for demanding Percival's attention when he was already so busy.

"N-no, I didn't- I mean-" Credence cleared his throat and tried to get back on track, "Thank you for the dinner… Percival." Credence still couldn't prevent blushing whenever he called Percival by his first name. He could only hope that this would stop after a while, even if it might be a long while. He pulled Percival into a hug again, just like he did when they met today. He hoped this would become a thing from now on.

"You're welcome, Credence." Percival said with a smile once they separated, “And you don't have to thank me every time we go out from now on.” Percival added with a chuckle. Credence just barely refrained from gasping out loud.

”Impossible.” Credence objected with a smile that threatened to split his face and Percival graced him with one of his gentle chuckles.

Only when the taxi was already halfway back at his home did Credence remember he should have probably asked if Percival wanted the suit jacket back that Credence was still wearing. Thinking more about it, he should probably put it in the washer first before he did that. It wouldn't be long before he got to see Percival again, after all. 

With every euphoria driven evening comes the time after, when Credence is lying in his bed full of emotions and not yet sure what to think at all. Still trying to replace Mr. Graves with Percival in his head, Credence went through the events of the evening again, how unsure he felt at first and how Percival was able to calm him down with only a few gentle words. How Percival could have such an effect on him, Credence had no idea. But with everything that was swirling around in his head, there was one constant he was sure about: he liked Percival. _A lot._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I am terribly sorry for the delay with this chapter ;; January has been extremely busy, because of exams and all other kinds of crazy stuff! But here I am, back with a new chapter and I hope you enjoyed it :'>
> 
> Huge thank you to [BearFlipsTable](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearFlipsTable/pseuds/BearFlipsTable) for editing this chapter <3
> 
> As always, I would be overjoyed about some feedback either here in the comments, or on [tumblr](http://ilibra.tumblr.com) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/iLiibra).


	7. The Confrontation

Credence would have told Tina about Percival at some point--probably sometime in the near future, even. She was his friend and he didn’t want to keep secrets. He hadn’t, however, planned for it to happen like it did.

After Tina had handed in her course project for this semester, she sent Credence a message saying they should meet up soon (since they haven't seen much of each other recently). Aside from passing each other in the halls when they happened to have classes at the same time, Credence had no idea what Tina had been up to lately.

Credence immediately agreed--as much fun as it was to spend time with Percival, he really missed Tina. They agree to meet up on Saturday, which Credence is thankful for, because now he won’t have to make up an excuse as to why he’s busy on Sunday. It's been a few weeks since Percival and Credence had started their lunch and dinner routine and regardless of how often they both saw each other, Credence wouldn't like to cancel even a single of their meetups.

For now, there had only been two Sundays where Percival and Credence had actually managed to see each other. Both times had been pretty exciting, and Credence wouldn't want to miss out on a Sunday where they were both free.

The first Sunday they spent together, they went bowling. Credence had never done that before and after a couple of throws where the ball nearly didn’t reach the pins, or almost hopped into the lane next to theirs, Percival mercifully stopped his chuckles and tried his best to teach Credence how to bowl. After living through the embarrassment of having to ask an employee to raise the gutter guards so Credence could at least get some balls to the pins, Credence suffered a completely separate heart attack when Percival took Credence’s wrist to try and guide his throw and having Percival stand so close to him was not helping Credence's focus _at all._

But to his surprise, things started going pretty well after that. He wouldn't participate in any kind of tournaments any time soon, but he managed the rest of the game somehow and after a while, he had a lot of fun competing with Percival.

Percival kept insisting that he wasn’t really good at bowling either, but in Credence’s eyes, everyone that could knock at least a few pins off with every throw was amazing and judging by the amount of strikes he saw that day, Percival was clearly not as bad as he claimed.

The second time they met-up on a Sunday, they watched a movie at Percival's house. Credence had just about gone crazy trying to imagine what Percival's home might look like. Someone who had enough money to pay for Credence's tuition without batting an eye clearly had to have a massive mansion on a giant private estate, right?

But Percival, as it turned out, didn't even live in a house, but in a penthouse. Granted, it was quite big with more rooms than someone living alone could ever need, but all things considered, it didn't look nearly as fancy as Credence had imagined and he almost felt a bit ashamed thinking like that. It wasn't that he was disappointed, he was just surprised.

Of course Percival had noticed Credence's curious glances around the rooms, and his surprise when they had pulled up to his apartment. Percival told him that more space just meant more things to clean up and despite his embarrassment about how obvious he had been, Credence managed to smile at that.

Credence couldn’t even remember what the move they had watched was about and after Percival went through the trouble to pick out an old movie that he had been sure Credence would like, this was just rude of Credence.

But Credence had just been too nervous, being invited into Percival's home, where he lived, ate and slept. It didn’t feel like usual when they were in public doing something together. They were in a private space now and it had felt more intimate, like their relationship had evolved to a new level.

Even though Percival was sitting a comfortable distance away from Credence on the couch, he couldn’t shake this weird feeling. And to top it all off, because he had had one hell of a long and exhausting week, Credence woke up sprawled out on the couch, a blanket draped around his shoulders.

How rude of him! First, Credence couldn’t focus on the movie because of his nerves and then he managed to fall asleep. Now Percival would think Credence didn't like the movie, that he was so bored he fell asleep! After moving towards the rustling coming from the kitchen that Percival had shown him earlier, he had profusely apologized to Percival for falling asleep, but just got waved off and they had enjoyed some dinner together.

So even with all the embarrassment that came with it, Credence immensely enjoyed the time Percival and him were spending together. He had to admit, though, that he had been neglecting his closest friends a bit. Tina asking him to hang out seemed like the perfect opportunity.

They decided to meet up at Credence's place, since his mom was a bit hard to convince why Credence would go over to a girl's house with no studying purposes and they couldn't make that excuse anymore now that they were taking all different classes. Nevertheless, Credence found himself looking forward to hearing what Tina had been up to. The thought of having to tell her about his new "relationship status" was nagging somewhere at the back of his mind, but he decided to ignore it. He just wanted to have a fun afternoon with Tina.

"Cre!" Tina exclaimed once she spotted him stepping out of the university campus, and barreled towards him, promptly pulling him into a hug. Even though they were the same age, Credence felt like Tina's little brother a lot of the time. Not in a bad way, mind you, it was just that Tina had always been extremely protective of him and Credence admired her for being able to show her affection towards her friends so openly. Sometimes, he wished he could be the same, but showing affection was still a complex issue for him.

Tina pulled back with a smile on her face. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages! How have you been?" she asked, and Credence returned her smile, until he remembered what exactly he had been up to lately. "So bad, yeah?" Tina joked, judging by his expression.

Credence stammered something about being busy with school, quickly trying to stir the conversation towards Tina so she wouldn't ask more questions. To Credence's relief, Tina didn't dwell on it and excitedly told him about her studies, how glad she was about finally finishing her paper, and how much sleep it had cost her while they made their way over to Credence's house.

His mother greeted them with nothing more than a request that Credence kept the door to his room open. No matter how many times Credence had tried to tell his mom that Tina and he were only friends, she still insisted on her rules. Credence could only hope his mom wouldn't listen in on their conversation like she had already done once before. After some long argument about privacy and how this had been rude towards Tina, his mom reluctantly promised not to eavesdrop if Credence kept leaving the door open.

Tina and Credence quickly made their way up the stairs to Credence's room before his mom could say anything else that Credence didn't want Tina to hear.

“I haven’t seen your room in a while. Anything new I should know about?” Tina asked, looking around as though she might spot something herself, her inner detective shining through.

“Not really,” Credence laughed, a bit embarrassed. In the last couple of years, his room had never really changed, because he didn’t need much and was happy with the things he did have. Not to mention that they didn't have the money for it, so as long as the things in his room were still working like they were supposed to, they wouldn't buy anything new.

“I might have bought some new shirts some days ago, but other than that…” Credence trailed off, sitting down at his desk before he turned on his laptop. He still had some emails to go through that couldn't wait, unfortunately. Apparently universities get really worried when you want to pay off your tuition all at once. It’s like they _want_ you to go into debt.

“Can I look?” Tina asked, pointing to his wardrobe at the other end of the room.

“Sure.” He told her, “Let me just go through this real quick.” Credence mumbled, turning back towards the screen, focusing on the weird technical terms thrown his way. Tina kept talking and Credence did his best to listen while working through his inbox, getting distracted more often than not. He just had to make sure there weren't any deadlines he was missing.

“Wow, this looks nice. Where did you get that?” he heard Tina behind him. Turning around revealed a now very familiar red suit jacket. He had worn it a couple of times when Percival and him were going out to eat somewhere fancy. Credence had tried to give it back to Percival at first, thinking it was just for the emergency of not telling him about the dress code. Percival, however, had just laughed and waved him off, pushing the jacket back towards him, insisting it was a gift.

“Oh, Percival gave that to me.” Credence said, not realizing the mistake he had just made yet, too caught up in his own memories.

“Who’s Percival?” Tina asked with a curious expression, still inspecting the jacket in her hands.

Credence’s heart stopped and he realized what he had just done, what he had admitted. How was he going to explain this? Should he make something up and tell her Percival was just a friend from university, a family member, someone else entirely? Whatever it was he had to make it up quickly, or else...

Credence’s noticeable pause made Tina look up at him, a confused smile on her face, “What? Is he your sugar daddy or something?”

Credence wished he could have just immediately denied it, laughing about how ridiculous that was, but he had never been good at lying no matter the circumstances.

"I'm… he's-" Credence tried to make some sense, but his mouth wasn't cooperating. _Stupid brain._

"Credence, you're starting to freak me out. Who's this Percival person?" Tina asked before she walked towards Credence and put a hand on his shoulder. What was meant to feel reassuring just helped to spike Credence's panic. So much for not telling Tina about this just yet and just because he had been distracted.

"It's… kinda complicated." Credence finally got out, although this didn't sound a whole lot better. This was not at all what he planned to say, although he couldn't have told you what would have been better. Tina continued to look at him expectantly, prompting Credence to elaborate and he knew he had to do it.

"Remember the social studies project I had to do?" Credence asked. Starting at the beginning sounded like a good idea. And he had to tell her the truth now, right?

"Yeah, you told me you didn't know what to do it on." Tina said, nodding with a stern look on her face, "What about it?" Credence swallowed, he thought he would have more time to prepare for this, he had no idea how to do this.

"Well, I did mine on… sugar daddies." Credence mumbled, looking anywhere but at Tina's face. There was a long moment of silence and Credence didn't dare to look up at Tina's face, didn't want to see what expression she might make.

"What?" Tina asked eventually, sounding… horrified! Credence looked up to see Tina looking at the suit jacket, still clutched in her hands. "Wait… So you have… a sugar daddy now?" Tina asked, disbelief dripping from her voice. And the thing was, Credence knew this sounded strange, especially for someone like Credence. And it wasn't like he had actively been looking for someone, but how was he supposed to explain that? And with Percival, everything seemed so much easier, like their relationship was the most normal thing in the world.

"It's-" Credence tried to explain, but Tina wouldn't let him.

"Credence, what were you thinking?" Tina shrieked, the jacket finally slipping from her hands, carelessly falling to the floor. Tina's cheeks were tinted red with anger, or could it be embarrassment? "Do you know how dangerous that can be? Do you even know the guy?" she continued and if she would have just listened Credence would have told her that of course he knew Percival, otherwise he would have never agreed. But Tina just kept going on about how this was careless of Credence and why he didn't tell her sooner even though she was so clearly not listening to anything Credence was trying to tell her right now.

"Did he touch you, Credence? Has he done anything you didn't want to do?" Tina asked and of course she was assuming that. Just great. So much for bad stereotypes when it came to sugar daddies.

"N-no, of course not! It's not like that! Our relationship is platonic," Credence explained, trying to gather some of his confidence. Tina let out a puff of air.

"Sure, and for how long is it going to stay that way? He's probably just waiting to make the next move!" Tina said. But that just couldn't be true. Percival wasn't like that, right? He was a gentleman, but how could he make that clear to Tina? She wasn't even listening to him, asking questions she answered herself, only making Credence more and more irritated.

Tears threatened to escape his eyes and Credence abruptly got up. He had to do something, go somewhere, anywhere but here. It didn't matter that this was his house, he just had to get out. He didn't even realize he was moving until he reached the end of the stairs and sprinted towards the door.

"Cre!" he heard behind him, but it didn't matter. With one final look behind him, he saw Tina standing next to his mother in the entrance of their house and then he was out.

The first thought that invaded his mind was that Tina was going to tell his mom, she will know and then he will never be able to go back home. His mother would never approve of this, especially not under these circumstances.

His tears were blurring his vision, but he knew he had to run, he had to get away from here as fast as possible, so he ran. He didn't know where he was going and it didn't matter, he just had to get as far away as possible right now.

Credence ran until his legs gave out and his breath was coming out in short puffs of air. Looking around he could see he was in the middle of the city, busy people running all around him. He dropped down on the nearest bench he could find and put his head in his hands.

What was he going to do now? What was Tina thinking of him now? Right now, Credence was angry at Tina and how she had reacted and angry at himself for being so careless, leaving the only nice jacket he had out in the open. Well, in his closet to be exact, but what did it matter? Of course such a nice jacket would look suspicious, but he couldn't bring himself to bury it deeper in his closet. But everything that mattered right now was that Tina found out and her reaction sure wasn't what Credence had hoped for.

How could he make clear to Tina that Percival wasn't just some old guy who seduced him into becoming a sugar baby? That was not how it was at all. Credence had not been tricked into becoming Percival's sugar baby. It was a mutual agreement. And even though his mind refused to process it yet, he liked being Percival's sugar baby. Spending more time with Percival was everything that he wanted right now.

Credence pulled up his knees to his chest and buried his head in his arms, not caring what the other people around would think of him. They were probably too busy with themselves anyway. Hopefully. The last thing he needed right now was some stranger asking him why he was crying on a park bench in the middle of the day.

He couldn't tell how long he sat there. Maybe just a few minutes, maybe an hour. The thoughts were swirling around in his head aimlessly, not really coming to a conclusion of what he was going to do now. He wanted to both talk to Tina immediately and hide in a corner and never have to see her again. He knew they'd have to talk eventually, but right now he just felt like bathing in his own misery. And he was doing just that until a familiar voice startled him.

”Credence?” he heard and looked up into very concerned dark eyes right in front of him. Credence almost choked on his surprise. Of all the people that could magically turn up in front of him, he had not been expecting him.

”Percival?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you guys so much for reading (if you're still reading this) and I am SO SORRY for how long this update took! I've been busy with a different project and was hit with a huge case of writers block OTL And I know, I know, please don't be mad about the cliffhanger!! I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can, I promise!
> 
> A huge thank you to [book_worm321](https://archiveofourown.org/users/book_worm321/pseuds/book_worm321) for editing this chapter for me <3
> 
> I'd love to get some feedback from you either here in the comments or on [tumblr](http://ilibra.tumblr.com) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/iLiibra) <3
> 
> PS: Thank you guys SO MUCH for over 4k views and 445 kudos and for all the amazing comments I have gotten until now, it really means a lot to me <3


	8. The Comfort

"You seem so happy lately." Seraphina said, leaning back in her seat at Percival's desk now that their meeting was done. Percival didn't quite know what to say; something that didn't happen very often, but he tried anyway, going for a non-committal "You think so?"

Percival had grown used to the fact that his boss could read him like an open book, but that didn't mean he was even remotely happy about it. He didn't think he had been so obvious about it.

"Is there someone new in your life, perhaps?" Seraphina asked with a smirk that didn't quite sit right with Percival. He knew she probably meant well. Sharing his private life, however, was nothing he liked to do at the office, even if he did consider Seraphina a friend.

"Perhaps." he answered, not willing to give away Credence just yet, wanting to keep the boy to himself just a bit longer. Even though his boss seemed to be aware of Percival's habit of picking up sugar babies and never seemed to mind, Percival didn't want to introduce Credence as just one of his sugar babies. Something about that felt wrong to him. The thing they had felt different. He saw more than heard Seraphina chuckle in return.

"Fine, don't tell me then. But I can tell whoever it is, he's good for you." and with those words, she slipped through the door, leaving Percival to his lunch break.

Heaving a sigh, Percival got up, stepping towards the large window just behind his desk. He looked down towards the little park just in front of his office, if you could even call it a park. A few trees and benches thrown into a big city had to count for something, he was sure.

Like so very often lately, his thoughts wandered to Credence. He thought about his smile that seemed to be reserved for Percival's eyes only, although he had no way of telling if that was true. He thought about his blush and how Percival had caught himself wanting to stroke his thumb over his cheeks more than once to feel if his skin was as warm as it looked.

That didn't mean he ever did, for obvious reasons.

He thought back to their date at the bowling alley. The way Credence's face had lit up every time he managed to knock over more than two pins at once was ingrained in Percival's brain. He would do anything to see that expression on Credence's face again.

Percival wasn't stupid. He realized he was deeply enamored with the boy with no chance of recovery, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be a grown-up about it. There was a reason why they agreed on a platonic relationship and as long as Credence didn't show any indication of wanting more, it would stay that way.

And no, stupid brain, just because someone hugs you in greeting doesn't mean they want something from you. Which wasn't to say that Percival didn't like it.

His thoughts wandered to preparations for the next Sunday they could spend together when he spotted a familiar looking figure down at one of the park benches. Percival did a double take to make sure he wasn't mistaken, but sure enough, there was Credence, sitting on a bench with his head buried in his arms, his shoulders shaking. What was going on?

Abandoning his lunch plans, Percival hurried down the stairs.

 

\------------------

 

"What are you doing here, Percival?" Credence asked, frantically trying to wipe the tears from his face without drawing too much attention to them. Thankfully, Percival didn't comment on it and simply sat down next to him.

"This may seem a little bit far-fetched, but my office building is just over there.” Percival said and pointed to the building right in front of them. If Credence wasn’t still so confused, he would have said Percival looked embarrassed.

“That’s… weird.” Credence said, for a lack of anything better to say. He wasn’t prepared to see Percival right now, so he didn’t know how to act. He was missing his usual mental preparation.

“I swear I’m not stalking you.” Percival said with such worry and seriousness in his voice that Credence couldn’t help but let out a sudden laugh. When Percival’s bewildered look turned into one of amusement, Credence returned his smile, but faltered and turned his gaze down again.

"So… what's the matter? You seem upset." Percival asked, turning his body towards Credence. A wild thought popped into Credence's head, of him crawling into Percival's lap and hiding his face in the crook of Percival's neck and he shuddered. Where did that come from? Trying to banish the thought from his mind, he shook his head.

And suddenly, there was an arm around his shoulders, comforting him and before Credence could think about it, he was leaning in, towards Percival, pressing to his side. The places where fabric met almost burning his skin. The comfort he felt radiating from Percival made him want to spill everything.

"I met with Tina today and she… found out about us." Credence said, leaving out how she found out exactly, not wanting to admit how stupid he had been. He heard Percival take in a deep breath next to him.

"I'm guessing she didn't take the news so well?" he asked in a low tone. Credence could only let out a sad chuckle.

"That's an understatement." he mumbled. He could feel Percival's hand tighten on his shoulder. Credence tried his best to replay his confrontation with Tina in his head, telling Percival everything she had said and how he'd tried to explain and how she didn't want to listen to him. Credence got more choked up the longer he was talking about it, but Percival's presence managed to calm him down somewhat. Percival showed him that he was there to listen to everything he had to say.

When he was done, tears were silently running down his cheeks and he left out a shuddering breath. He tried to discretely wipe them away with the back of his hand. 

"I'm so sorry, Credence." Percival whispered and to Credence's shock, Percival drew him even closer, until his head was resting on Percival's shoulder. Credence didn't dare breathe, didn't dare speak, afraid of what would come out of his mouth. So instead, he just sat there, listening to Percival's calming breaths and the feeling of his chest rising and falling beneath him, and he was thankful that Percival didn't comment on this strange situation. Credence didn't dare think about what the people walking past them would think. Wait, no, now he was thinking about it-

"I'm sure she'll come around if you try talking to her again." Percival said after a long moment of silence where Credence's brain started going haywire. Credence let out a long breath, he was probably right. If Credence could only explain the situation to Tina again. She would understand, right? She had to, this was a stupid reason to lose one of your best friends over.

"Maybe." Credence said, his confidence failing him already. Now that he was thinking about actually talking to Tina, this seemed like a hurdle he couldn't take, even if he knew he would have to. Percival squeezed his shoulder one more time before he, unfortunately, let go of Credence and leaned back on the bench. Credence inched away just the tiniest fraction and immediately missed Percival's side pressed against his. He pushed the feeling to the back of his mind.

Another thought hit him at that exact moment. "What if my mother finds out about this?" Credence said and took a shuddering breath, "She saw me running out of the house. What if Tina told her something?" he asked, dropping his head into his hands yet again. Could this whole mess get any worse? Yes, yes it could if his mom really found out.

“I’m sure she didn’t, Credence. From what you told me about her, I don’t think she would take that decision from you.” Percival tried to reason with him and Credence hoped, prayed, that he was right. He hoped that his mom had no clue about Percival. He didn’t even want to begin to imagine the fallout that would follow his mom finding out that he was associating with a sugar daddy. Trying to explain that their relationship was platonic wouldn’t get him anywhere, he was sure.

“But what if- if-“ Credence's breathing turned erratic.

“Credence, calm down, breathe.” Percival told him, realizing that Credence was working himself into a panic attack.

“I’m _trying_. I just-“ Credence ground out, “I just… don’t know what to do.” What was he supposed to do when his mom confronted him? How would he even start to explain this? He couldn’t tell her the truth, obviously. She would only see the fact that he was getting his tuition paid by an older man and probably accuse him of prostituting himself or worse. She would accuse Percival of taking advantage of her son and ask him to never contact Credence again. She would take away Credence's phone and laptop and delete Percival's number. He would have no way to contact Percival again. He didn’t want to imagine it, but he couldn’t stop the thoughts from surfacing in his mind. How could he when the likelihood of everything crashing and burning was now higher than ever? Only when Percival grabbed his shoulder again, Credence looked up into his kind, calm gaze.

”So, let's say Tina did tell your mother something- which I'm not saying happened, by the way-” Percival added quickly when Credence froze at the words. Credence let out a slow breath.

“Yeah?” he prompted when Percival looked at him with concern in his gaze.

”I'm sure we can tell her what a misunderstanding this has been and explain everything to her.” Percival suggested and Credence had to swallow hard. Why did no one ever understand what his mother was like? Even if Percival was at his side, he knew his mother would never approve of this. She would accuse Percival of abusing her son or something along those lines. He knew he would never see Percival again after the inevitable meltdown that would follow an honest approach.

”That would never work.” Credence said, his jaw locked, trying to keep the tears from spilling out again. Percival leaned in closer again, trying to comfort Credence without crowding him. Credence caught himself wishing Percival wouldn't hold back on his account, immediately discarding the thought. They were still in public after all. What was he thinking?

"Okay, so let's assume Tina didn't tell your mom, which is the most likely scenario anyway, okay?" Percival said and Credence nodded. He wanted to believe him. "Regardless of that, I think we should make up a cover story, don't you think?" Percival let out a deep breath, "I'm not exactly fond of having to lie to your mother, but perhaps these circumstances call for it.” Credence nodded slowly, sharing Percival’s sentiment. Over the past years of living with his mother, Credence had grown accustomed to lying about certain things, but that didn’t mean he felt even remotely good doing it, or that he was good at pulling it off.

"But what am I supposed to tell her?" Credence asked, his eyes downcast. Percival made a thoughtful noise.

"How about rather than a lie we tell her a, let's call it a half-truth? You applied for an internship at my company and I was so impressed by your work that I agreed to pay your study fees if you agree to work for my company for at least a year after you graduate. How does that sound?” Percival asked and Credence blinked in surprise at Percival's use of _we_ , making Credence wonder if he wouldn't have to talk to his mom on his own. His first thought was that his mom would never believe that Credence managed to impress someone with his work ethics, but Percival seemed to be confident in his idea. Did he think about that before or was this just not the first time he had done something like that?

”Is that even a thing?” Credence asked, not sure if he was just being ignorant or if he had just never been lucky enough to even hear about a possibility like that.

”I mean, it doesn't happen every other week, but yeah, Macusa has definitely done that before.” Percival said and almost looked amused when he saw Credence's confused look.

“Macusa?” Credence asked, only vaguely remembering hearing the name before, which was apparently the wrong thing to say, because Percival couldn't contain a startled laugh from bursting out. Afraid he had said something weird, Credence made to apologize, but Percival stopped him.

”It's the name of my company. You should probably know that if you have an internship there, don't you think?” Percival explained with a smile and Credence couldn't help but blush with embarrassment. How could he have been so stupid? Percival must think what an ignorant idiot he was.

”Don't worry about it. I really thought I mentioned it before, but apparently I didn't.” Percival said with a kind smile on his lips that almost made Credence forget about his mishap just now.

"Would you be okay with this?" Percival asked him, trying to get back to the matter at hand. Credence thought about it for a moment, his eyes trained on the ground in front of him. It would make sense and it wouldn't even quite be a lie, since Percival was really paying for his tuition, only the _work_ Credence was doing for him was a bit different. Credence shuddered at the implications of that. It wasn’t quite work in that sense, right? It felt more like some sort of mutual agreement. Used to Credence’s long silences by now, Percival patiently waited for his answer.

“I think that could work.” Credence said eventually. Even though he was afraid this plan might backfire in some way they both weren't expecting, it was better than waiting for his mother to find out some other way. At least this way he would be prepared, or as prepared as he could ever be.

”Great, we can talk to your mother whenever you feel ready. Not today, obviously.” Percival said and with that settled Credence almost felt like he could breathe easier, even though his hands were still shaking slightly when he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He had felt it vibrate time and time again during their conversation, but had been too afraid to look at it.

One look at his screen was all he needed to see. He had 5 missed calls and a bunch of text messages from Tina, but none from his mom which could be either a good sign or a very very bad one and he didn't dare assume which one it was. He tentatively opened Tina's chat window and instead of the angry rambling he expected, there was an outpour of worry and apologies greeting him. Not expecting anything like this, Credence's eyes started to fill with tears yet again. Percival was carefully looking over his shoulder at the screen and put his arm around Credence's shoulder again.

”See? I told you she cares about you.” Percival said and Credence heaved a quiet sob, trying to wipe the tears from his face with the hem of his shirt sleeve. He had not expected this, though he had hoped they could make up as soon as possible. He only needed to call her back and explain everything to her, and maybe Newt could join him when he met up with Tina again since he had been involved in this too in some way. Although Credence didn't know if Newt would feel too much like he was caught in the middle of this whole mess. He didn't want to do that to Newt.

"Mind if I make a suggestion?" Percival said, seemingly seeing Credence's inner turmoil. Credence looked up at him and shook his head “What if you and I spoke to Tina together? Maybe I can clear up some misconceptions she might have had and she can see for herself what kind of people you're associating with.” Percival said with a grin and Credence couldn't help but gape at him.

”You would really do that for me?” Credence asked. He was glad about the prospect of not having to solve this on his own, but having Percival make time for him and his stupid problems didn't quite sit right with Credence. He tried not to seem too eager at the prospect, torn between wanting to have Percival at his side and not wanting him to bother with this more than he should have to.

”Of course. Credence. I'm kind of responsible for this too.” Credence was about to protest, when Percival waved him off, “I'm at least part of this whole mess, so I will support you if you want me to.” And Credence did want and need Percival's support after how his last conversation with Tina had gone.

There was this weird sensation spreading through his stomach that he couldn't quite explain. He was so relieved that Percival was taking the initiative like this, but not disregarding Credence's feelings at any point in time. He always made sure to ask Credence if he was comfortable with something, if it was okay with him if Percival did this or that, always mindful of his feelings. Credence had never felt this cared for before. But ever since Percival and him had started... his mind caught on the word “dating” and stopped. Percival and him were not dating. This was different. Yes, different and good. Everything was fine the way it was. Well, except for all the trouble he was having right now, of course. This was not the time to think about silly things like that.

”I would really appreciate it if you would help me with this... whole mess.” Credence said and gave Percival a tentative smile.

“It's a deal then.” Percival said and returned his smile. He looked down at his watch and stood up slowly. “Shoot, seems like my lunch break is over.” he said with an apologetic look and Credence gasped, jumping up from the bench.

”I'm so sorry, Percival! I didn't mean to ruin your lunch break like this.” his breathing quickened. Instead of having a nice meal for lunch, Percival had to sit with him and listen to his sob story. But before Credence could start to panic all over again, Percival waved him off.

”Don't worry about it, really.” Percival tried to assure him and before Credence could protest, he was pulled in a hug that he couldn't refuse. Credence clung to Percival's back, just thankful to have Percival, so that he wouldn't have to go through this alone. Who knows how long he would have sat on that bench if Percival hadn't come? His eyes snapped open when he felt a hand tap on his shoulder. He didn't even realize he had closed them.

”I really need to go now.” Percival said with an apologetic smile and stepped out of the embrace. Credence could feel the dark red on his cheeks and how hot his face was. When Percival turned around to walk back towards his office, Credence had this weird urge to stop him, to just talk to him for a few more minutes, because the half hour they had spent together just wasn't enough.

He quickly looked down at his phone to distract himself. He dialed Tina's number almost without thought. He had to set this straight and set up a meeting and with a plan in mind and Percival at his side, the whole situation didn't look so dark anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all: I am SO incredibly sorry for how long it has been since the last update! My past semester in university has just been hell and topped with a huge writers block this chapter just didn't want to work out OTL But I pulled myself together, I'm on semester break now and I'm going to try to update more regularely again! Anyway, enough with the excuses!
> 
> For everyone who is still following this fic and has not abandoned me yet, THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I really hope you liked this new chapter, even though it was a bit of a bridge chapter for what's going to happen soon in the story.
> 
> This chapter is not quite edited. I had two of my friends read over it (thank you guys so much!!), but this is generally more rough than my other chapters. I hope you can bear with me!
> 
> I'd love to get some feedback from you either here in the comments or on [tumblr](http://ilibra.tumblr.com) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/iLiibra) <3
> 
> Again, thank you guys for sticking with me, if you're still reading this, you are awesome!!


	9. The Apology

Tina hurried across the street towards the small coffee shop that was just a few blocks from her house. As soon as Credence had called her and asked if they could meet up together with this Percival person, she had agreed. The argument they had was horrible and it was all her fault, she could see that now, and she was eager to apologize. She was also pretty excited at the prospect of getting to meet Percival Graves who Credence had kept hidden from her until now. Who was this man that Credence seemed to be so fond of?

And of course, today of all days, she was late. Tina really hoped Credence wouldn’t assume she was dumping him or still mad about the fight they had. This was not at all the impression she wanted to make.

As Tina hurried through the doors of the coffee shop, she spotted Credence walking toward a table at the back. Tina let out a sigh. She couldn’t be too late then, if Credence was also just getting here. 

She was about to call out to him when she saw an older man dressed in a neat three-piece suit get up from his table at the back of the shop. This had to be Mr. Graves, Tina was sure. Not noticing Tina’s presence, Credence’s face lit up when he spotted the other man. He went right to the table and, to Tina’s surprise, practically fell into Mr. Graves’s arms. Tina stood still for a moment, feeling like she was intruding an intimate moment, even though it was something as small as a simple hug, so she waited, trying not to look too suspicious while watching the two.

After the two separated eventually, Tina stepped up to them and swiftly introduced herself to Mr. Graves. Credence had a shocked expression on his face and red cheeks, surely realizing that Tina must have witnessed their greeting. She would have brushed it off if Credence didn't look so embarrassed, but now she wondered. Mr. Graves, on the other hand, seemed to handle Tina’s sudden arrival much better, greeting her with a warm smile.

“It’s really nice to meet you, Tina. I’m glad we could arrange this meeting.” he said. He certainly seemed very charming, but Tina wasn't about to fall for just anything. This was still about protecting Credence, after all, so she kept a watchful eye. But she wasn’t going to be rude, either, so she returned his smile, thanked him and sat down after Mr. Graves gestured towards the table.

"I’m going to fetch some coffee. What would you like, Tina?” Mr. Graves asked her. Tina thought for a moment. 

"I'll take a caramel macchiato, thank you." she said eventually. It wasn’t something outlandishly expensive, but it wasn’t as simple as a black coffee, either. She didn’t want to offend Mr. Graves by ordering something cheap, but she also didn’t want to come off like she was taking advantage of the fact that she knew Mr. Graves had money. Dealing with something as simple as ordering coffee was more stressful for her than she thought, her will not to offend anyone always getting in her way.

"You want the usual?” Mr. Graves asked, turning towards Credence who answered with a quiet “Yes, please,” Tina barely refrained from arching her brow. So Credence already had a _usual_ that Mr. Graves knew about? She wondered how many times these two had already gone out for some coffee together.

There was an awkward beat of silence after Mr. Graves had left the table and Tina tried to take a lighter approach.

“Well, he is pretty handsome. You know… for an older guy.” she said. Credence’s shocked face almost made her laugh out loud.

"Tina!" Credence whispered\hissed, exasperated. Credence's face seemed to have a permanent red tinge now.

"What? I'm just saying." Tina said with a smile to show Credence she was just messing with him. She didn't mean to embarrass him, she was just trying to lighten the mood. She had already done enough damage as it was.

"He's not that old." Credence mumbled and Tina let the topic drop, not willing to argue with Credence about this. So she cut right to the chase.

"Look, I'm sorry for how I reacted, Credence. It was not appropriate and I really regret the things I said." _Or more like yelled_ , Tina corrected in her head. She really hadn't meant to be so harsh with Credence, but the overwhelming worry she had felt for Credence had taken over. She had had the image in her head of some shady old man taking advantage of an unassuming, trusting Credence. Credence only nodded, looking down at the table in front of him, but Tina tried to catch his eye. "I really didn't mean it. I hope you can forgive me." she finished.

Credence was silent for a moment, but he looked up at her with a small smile "You're one of my best friends, Tina." he said, and Tina thought Credence really wanted to say she was one of his best and _only_ friends. This always made her heart ache. "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Percival sooner." Credence added and Tina swallowed.

"Well, judging by my more than lackluster reaction, you had every reason not to tell me." Tina said, angry at herself for having proven that Credence couldn't trust her. At least, that was how it felt to her.

"Well, I'm glad you know now. And that you came today." Credence said, apparently seeing that arguing with Tina on this wouldn't do anyone any good.

"Yeah, me too." Tina said and looked over to Mr. Graves still standing in line to order their coffee.

"So, how did this happen, exactly? I can barely get you to come to a party with me and you go and get yourself a sugar daddy." she said with more curiosity in her voice than anything else.

"He's not quite my sugar daddy." Credence mumbled and Tina could hear the _"It's complicated."_ between the lines. "So you remember the paper I had to write for Social Studies?" Credence continued and Tina nodded. Credence told her everything, how Mr. Graves had messaged him, how their interview had gone and how they just happened to stay in contact afterwards. He told her about how his mother took the money he'd saved up, again, and how Mr. Graves offered to help.

Just as Credence finished talking, Mr. Graves came back with their coffee mugs in hand and Tina wondered for a moment if he had been standing behind them, just waiting for Credence to be done.

Mr. Graves gave one mug to Tina and another to Credence, putting his hand on Credence's shoulder with a smile. Tina could practically see the sparkles in Credence's eyes when he beamed up at Mr. Graves. Yet again Tina felt like she wasn't meant to see this, but Mr. Graves eventually turned towards her.

Mr. Graves thanked her again for coming after he had settled down at their table. So he was definitely overly polite and Tina couldn't tell if it was honest manners on his part or something else that she couldn't quite place.

"Credence just told me how you two met. It's quite a story for sure." Tina told Mr. Graves and he chuckled.

"It sure is." Mr. Graves agreed and after a moment, he added, "I can understand your concerns, of course, considering the circumstances." Tina eyed him suspiciously. She couldn't help it, she was still worried about Credence, and she wasn't looking at Mr. Graves with puppy dog eyes like Credence was. But she couldn't see any malice or ill will in Mr. Graves's eyes, so she let it drop.

"I always worry about my friends. And sometimes maybe I worry a little too much." Tina said and gave Credence an apologetic look.

After that was settled, Mr. Graves and Tina made, what you could call, some interrogative small talk, or rather Tina was the one who tried to squeeze out as much information as she could get from Mr. Graves. She asked what he was doing on a sugar daddy website and subtly tried to pry into his history with his other sugar babies. Mr. Graves, though, didn't seem to mind much and always answered with a smile and asked Tina about her studies, how she was doing and other harmless stuff. He didn't give out too much information about his history with sugar babies, although he never outright denied her an answer either.

Credence, in the meanwhile, looked between them like he was caught in the most intense tennis match you could witness. Once Tina had pried enough without much success in finding out what Mr. Graves's motive was, she decided to just ask straight out, "So, Mr. Graves. What are your intentions with Credence?" Credence looked like someone had just kicked a puppy in front of him, but Mr. Graves stayed calm and put together, just like before.

“I don’t have any ulterior motives, if that’s what you’re asking. The only thing I want from Credence is his company and friendship, nothing more. Wherever that may lead is not in my hands.” Mr. Graves answered with a smile. _Hm, good answer,_ Tina thought, although that last bit was kind of a weird thing to say. Tina was about to mention it when Credence looked at her pleadingly, a deep blush clear on his face, so she let it drop. She didn't mean to embarrass Credence, she just wanted to know if Mr. Graves was a genuine person. For now, Tina didn't have any reasons to think otherwise.

After they had talked for a while longer and emptied their mugs, Tina thanked Mr. Graves for the coffee and they stepped out of the coffee shop to go their respective ways home. But first Tina threatened Mr. Graves with what would happen if he hurt Credence in any way, like any good friend would do. Mr. Graves just laughed and said that Newt and she had something in common right there and assured her she didn't need to worry.

Credence said goodbye with a hug and thanked her for coming and understanding. Tina could practically see the relief on Credence's face and yet again, she felt sorry for putting him in such a situation. Mr. Graves had stepped away, giving them a little bit of privacy.

“I can see now, how much you like him. And I'm pretty sure your feelings are mutual.” Tina said to Credence, remembering the intimate moments between these two that she had witnessed today. She watched as Credence’s face turned bright red. “I’m sorry for overreacting.” she finished, before Credence could stammer some sort of excuse or denial. She knew Credence wouldn’t want to admit how much he liked Mr. Graves, even if it was true. And with how clueless her friend was, he probably hasn't noticed Mr. Graves's feelings towards him yet.

“I’ll be on my way then.” she said and turned around, leaving Credence and Mr. Graves on their own. They could figure it out. It was clear those two were fond of each other. And if this made Credence happy, that was all the confirmation Tina needed to know it would be okay.

And whatever happened between them, Tina hoped Credence would feel comfortable enough to talk to Tina about it.

Walking home, Tina realized that she hadn’t seen Newt in a while and decided that that simply must change.

 

\------------------

 

Credence was walking down the street next to Percival. Credence had told him it was fine, he could walk home on his own, but Percival insisted on accompanying him. And Credence was secretly pleased to have just a little more time to talk to Percival without Tina’s watchful eyes on them.

As relieving as the apology had been, the cross-examination that had followed made Credence want to either sink into the ground or apologize profusely to Percival. Or maybe both. Credence knew Tina really only meant well, but asking Percival all these personal questions without shame, that wasn’t something Credence had wanted to see. He could barely resist putting his hands over his ears, not wanting to hear the answers to some of her questions. He knew Tina liked playing overprotective older sister, even if they were the same age, but sometimes she was taking the protective part of their friendship too seriously.

“I’m sorry for that whole… interrogation.” Credence said after they had been walking in silence for some time.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. She’s just careful, because she cares about you, I can see that.” Percival said with a warm smile on his lips and Credence could see that Percival wasn't angry or annoyed at all. And he was right, Tina cared about him and Credence was thankful for that. It was just that he didn’t feel like this was how introducing a new… friend to your other friends should go. Everything tinged by worry, because your new friend was a bit older than you and also happened to kind of be your sugar daddy.

“How are you always so calm about everything?” Credence asked Percival before he realized. He almost slapped his hand over his mouth. Why had he said it like that?

“What do you mean?” Percival asked him, calm as ever, but confusion tinging his features. Credence thought for a long moment.

“I was… really nervous about today, you know? I wasn’t sure what Tina would think or say, if she would even apologize.” Credence said and swallowed thickly. “I was afraid I would lose one of you today.” He whispered, the truth hard to admit. Percival looked at him for a long moment and then up into the sky.

“I get nervous too, you know? I’ve just gotten better at hiding it over the years.” Percival said, and Credence couldn’t help but stare. He noticed the tips of Percival’s ears were slightly red. He had never dared to look before now. “I might have seemed calm and collected today, but honestly? I’ve been scared as all hell that Tina wouldn’t approve. And what could I have done? To an outsider, our relationship will always seem a bit strange and there’s no argument that I could make, Credence.” Percival continued. Credence thought he must have heard that wrong. This couldn’t be. Percival had always seemed like nothing could phase him, like he always had control over everything happening and a Plan B for anything that might occur. Seeing the cracks in this façade didn’t make Credence nervous though. If anything, it made Percival more human, made him even more perfect in Credence’s eyes, because he didn’t know an answer to everything.

“Please don’t ever think I don’t worry, too, Credence.” Percival finished and finally looked at him again. Credence’s face turned bright red and there was nothing he could do.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” Credence said, almost embarrassed that he had brought it up.

“I’m sure you didn’t, but I still wanted you to know.” Percival said and his face finally lit up with a smile. Credence felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

He let out a deep sigh when they reached the house next to his own and stopped. Percival looked at him a bit puzzled.

"I haven't talked to my mom yet and… I'm pretty sure she's at home." Credence explained, his eyes downcast. He didn't want Percival to think Credence was ashamed of him… of them, especially after Percival had just opened up to him a bit. But just showing up on their doorstep with a gorgeous man like Percival? His mom would ask all sorts of questions that he wasn’t sure he was ready to answer.

"That's okay." Percival said and pulled Credence into his arms to say goodbye. Credence both felt like he would never get used to hugging Percival and like they have never done anything else. It was like a whole new experience every single time and yet their arms seemed to fit perfectly around each other. Tina’s words rang out in his head again. Was it really true? What did he really feel for Percival and what were Percival’s feelings towards him? Sometimes it felt like the lines between friendship and something else were starting to blur already.

"See you on Friday?" Percival asked with a smile when he pulled back, and Credence wanted to keep that gentle expression on Percival’s face forever.

"Mhm." Credence said, and stepped back towards his house, saying goodbye with a wave.

As soon as he walked towards the stairs to his house, he wished he had never gone back, that he had just stayed on the sidewalk with Percival forever, but reality didn’t seem to be so kind.

"Credence Barebone, explain this to me this _instant_!" his mother’s voice rang out from the door of his house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like always, I'm sorry for the delay with this update! I had some trouble writing this chapter and incredibly busy with the new semester and inktober that was happening last month. I hope you're still enjoying this little story of mine! I honestly never meant to write SUCH a slow burn, but it is what it is now and I promise, things are going to move along soon!
> 
> A huge thank you to my friend [tsund0ku_library](http://archiveofourown.org/users/tsund0ku_library) for editing this chapter!!
> 
> If you're still reading this, I love you, thank you for your suppoert!!
> 
> I'd love to get some feedback from you either here in the comments or on [tumblr](http://ilibra.tumblr.com) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/iLiibra) <3


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